ContraPest

ContraPest is a contraceptive pest control product designed to reduce fertility in brown and black rats, developed by the U.S. biotechnology company SenesTech.[1][2][3] It is a flavored liquid, designed to be attractive to, and to be consumed by, the target animals in order to reduce the population over time. ContraPest is a contraceptive, not a sterilant, so a continuous supply maintains reduced populations. [4] ContraPest was initially tested in Indonesian rice fields, South Carolina pig farms, the suburbs of Boston and the New York City subway, and caused a reduction in rat populations of roughly 40% over a period of 12 weeks. [1] The product was approved for commercial use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in August 2016.[5]

History

The formula was originally used by Dr. Loretta Mayer and Dr. Cheryl Dyer as part of a research program to study heart disease in post-menopausal women through menopausal mice.[3] The active ingredient of ContraPest is the chemical 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD), which is a known killer of oocytes in immature ovarian follicles.[4][6][7][8] ContraPest also contains triptolide, which the company reports has adverse reproductive effects on both males and females.[1]

Deployment

Currently the city of Washington D.C. is utilizing a 5,000 unit, four-year supply of ContraPest for all eight wards of the city in an attempt to combat the rat population. [9]

gollark: Is that secure?
gollark: Not "oops, we accidentally made something exactly like a human but it's in a computer and it doesn't like us".
gollark: The main thing we probably have to worry about is misaligned things being programmed with goals like "ensure there is no mess on the floor" removing the entire floor, and such.
gollark: ......
gollark: Building in resentment and such would actually be harder than just not doing that.

References
  1. "Man v rat: could the long war soon be over?". The Guardian. 2016-09-20. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2016-09-21.
  2. Russo, Stephanie (2011-07-21). "Drug may revolutionize control of dog population". archive.azcentral.com. Retrieved 2016-09-21.
  3. "Loretta Mayer: Features - Executive Profile". Pest Control Technology. 2018-12-11. Retrieved 2019-03-07.
  4. "FAQ | Senestech". Retrieved 2019-03-07.
  5. "ContraPest Rodent Control Product Wins EPA Approval". Pest Control Technology, GIA Media, Inc. 12 August 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  6. Kappeler, Connie J.; Hoyer, Patricia B. (2012-02-01). "4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide: a model chemical for ovotoxicity". Systems Biology in Reproductive Medicine. 58 (1): 57–62. doi:10.3109/19396368.2011.648820. ISSN 1939-6376. PMC 3307534. PMID 22239082.
  7. Takai, Yasushi; Canning, Jacqueline; Perez, Gloria I.; Pru, James K.; Schlezinger, Jennifer J.; Sherr, David H.; Kolesnick, Richard N.; Yuan, Junying; Flavell, Richard A. (2003-01-01). "Bax, caspase-2, and caspase-3 are required for ovarian follicle loss caused by 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide exposure of female mice in vivo". Endocrinology. 144 (1): 69–74. doi:10.1210/en.2002-220814. ISSN 0013-7227. PMID 12488331.
  8. Hoyer, P. B.; Devine, P. J.; Hu, X.; Thompson, K. E.; Sipes, I. G. (2001-02-01). "Ovarian toxicity of 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide: a mechanistic model". Toxicologic Pathology. 29 (1): 91–99. doi:10.1080/019262301301418892. ISSN 0192-6233. PMID 11215690.
  9. "SenesTech Announces Largest Shipment of ContraPest Ever to Washington D.C." finance.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2019-03-08.


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