Talk:Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis

Shrinking Page

Over the years this page has been shrinking to the current state. Why? What is the cause/reason for so many of the words on the page getting removed?

I posted years ago:

United States Patent 4,166,112 Inventor: Goldberg; Leonard J. 1979 [1]

For more information about ONR-60A or BTI as it is now called the best source is the US Patent Office. Leonard J. Goldberg discovered BTI and patented this agent in 1979. Over the years this discovery may have saved more lives than any other discovery to date. Mosquitoes can carry a parasite that causes malaria in humans. Malaria is one of the largest killers of humans worldwide.

Please see the; Malaria Foundation International for more information about Malaria.

These words have been removed. Replaced by words that are not correct and make searching for the real "ONR-60A" harder to find. Why?

I want to return many of the posts from the past, but would also like to understand why?

My goal to help people that want to research BTI find detailed information. — Preceding unsigned comment added by EdwardMGoldberg (talk • contribs) 04:20, 21 December 2016 (UTC)

Untitled

Mosquito Bits and Mosquito Dunks are marketed by Summit, a company located in Baltimore, MD. Summit advises that its products can be used in all types of standing water, including bird baths, water gardens, animal watering troughs, and abandoned or unused swimming pools. One can reasonablely assume that Bti is harmless to fish, birds, other animals, and possibly humans. However, the safety information on the labels reads as if Bti is a very toxic chemical insecticide. What gives? Is this product safe to use or not? Does Summit or anyone else know of any side effects to birds, fish, or mammels caused by the application of Bti to standing water used by these animals? Does anyone have any information on this? Maryevelyn 11:26pm CDT, 6/13/04

The labeling on individual Bti products appears to overstate the risks. A detailed review of the EPA website for regarding the hazards of Bti can be found at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/biopesticides/ingredients/factsheets/factsheet_006476.htm

I believe Bti holds great potential to improve living conditions in malaria prone locations. A Bti production facility is under construction in Kenya. As the threat of West Nile Virus spreads across the US, perhaps more people will take an interest in a potential solution to a problem (malaria) that kills 1,000,000 children a year.

For poor countries, research has been conducted using coconuts as the medium to culture Bti for use in remote locations that have access to coconuts. More information about this ground-breaking research can be found at: http://idrinfo.idrc.ca/archive/corpdocs/102386/ventosil.html Max 3:13pm MDT, 7/11/05

As an employee of Summit Chemical Company, and an avid supporter of our product the Mosquito Dunks, I must comment. I was flattered at the mention of our products, and the conversation that followed. This is a family owned and operated business, but bias aside, Bti is an extremely unique bacterial strain with respect to its endotoxic action being so specific as to only effect Diptera. Additionally, the toxin must be ingested by the target larvae, which provides even lower probability of non-target effects, as diptera have diverse larval characteristics and inhabit different specific environments. A product aimed at controlling one pest such as mosquitoes must be engineered with respect to its ecological life history including feeding habits, specific mid-gut ph, resting and hiding behavior, etc. I could go on and on about our history as a company with respect to the AMCA, MAMCA, and even the pioneers in Bti discovery and research, but for now I will address the concern raised by Maryevelyn about the safety of our product and the conflicting warning statements. We often field such concerns over the phone, and they are justifiable. The USEPA has reqirements for pesticides specified in the Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), one being product labelling. There are mandatory CAUTION statements, child safety, disposal, and more regulations for anything that is aimed at killing, repelling a "pest". These are readily available on the USEPA's website. Then there are also interperative restrictions on what can and cannot be printed on a label. Our's once said "Safe for use in fish habitats" but because safe implies what it means it was ordered to be removed. It was replaced with "can be used in fish habitats". Since they oversee labelling and the safety with which pesticides are labelled and used doesn't this imply the same thing? I agree that Bti would be extremely beneficial in Africa for malaria, and field studies have shown this to be true. The Dunks in particular, due to their human safety, ease of use, and benefits to the general population when included in an educationally oriented mosquito control program are extremely attractive. This grassroots approach can empower the people of Africa with both knowledge and a tool to hopefully reduce their suffering. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Dipteranhunter (talk • contribs) 17:40, 1 July 2010 (UTC)