Cmdr. Ian Sutherland, Officer-in-Charge of the Navy Entomology Center of Excellence (NECE) and Centers for Disease Control representative recently joined the Mayor of Saint Augustine Florida, Nancy Sikes-Kline; and World Health Organization representative Dr. Anna Drexler to commemorate the opening of the Anastasia Mosquito Control District (AMCD) Disease Vector Education Center and Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) Mass-Rearing Facility in Saint Augustine.

The 4.5 million dollar facility is dedicated to public outreach and education regarding mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases and includes resources about malaria, dengue fever, West Nile virus, yellow fever, Zika virus, chikungunya, and lymphatic filariasis.

Annually, NECE personnel meet with global subject matter experts at AMCD to discuss data regarding mosquito-borne diseases and the potential impacts on deployed military personnel. This forum also highlights promising research for preventive medicine of interest to the Department of Defense and offers NECE subject matter experts the opportunity to share their research and network with mosquito control and arbovirus specialists from various locations.

In honor of the enduring relationship, AMCD Director Dr. Rui-De Xue invited Sutherland to speak at the ceremony and cut the ceremonial ribbon.

“Our forces are one bite away from mission failure and a relentless threat waiting for a moment of hubris or complacency to bring us down,” said Sutherland. “Developing regional, national, and global scientific networks such as this is critical to our mutual defense and human health.”

The primary purpose of the SIT Facility is to produce large quantities of sterile insects, typically males, for release into the wild. These sterile insects are bred in controlled environments under specific conditions to ensure their viability and effectiveness in the field. These facilities play a crucial role in integrated pest management strategies providing a sustainable and environmentally friendly method for controlling pest populations and reducing the spread of vector-borne diseases.

The Disease Vector Education Center includes many unique, hands-on activities for both adults and children including interactive mosquito life cycle exhibits, biocontrol fish tanks, pinned insect collections, and a helicopter flight simulator for mosquito control missions.

Overall, the center helps to fulfill AMCD’s mission of operational programs and education to the public. Not only does the education center help AMCD engage with the community in a more interactive and fun way, but it also helps inspire a whole new generation of potential mosquito control experts. Nearly 300 local and visiting scientists attended the opening ceremony.

Story originally posted on DVIDS: Excellence in Action: NECE Officer in Charge participates in the Opening Ceremony of Vector Control Technology and Education Centers