Location: Mosquito and Fly Research
Project Number: 6036-32000-052-000-D
Project Type: In-House Appropriated
Start Date: Oct 1, 2019
End Date: Sep 30, 2024
Objective:
1. Discover and characterize factors that impact mosquito and biting fly distribution and the threat of disease outbreaks.
2. Determine the impact of resistance to public health pesticides on control of mosquitoes and biting flies and develop approaches to overcome insecticide resistance.
2.A. Determine, monitor, and map the resistance status of natural populations.
2.B. Sterile insect technique.
2.C. Novel spatial repellents and insecticides to circumvent pyrethroid resistance.
2.D. Natural restoration of insecticide susceptibility in Aedes aegypti.
3. Develop novel strategies and technologies for more accurate and efficient surveillance and monitoring of mosquitoes and biting flies.
4. Develop novel strategies and new products that lead to improved control of mosquitoes and biting flies.
4.A. Evaluate new fabric treatments and optimize existing treatments to provide improved protection from insect bites through military and civilian clothing.
4.B. Evaluate and optimize spatial repellent systems that protect hosts from arthropods in a local area.
4.C. Evaluate new and optimize existing treated targets.
4.D. Evaluate factors that influence efficacy of aerosol and residual control techniques in various ecological habitats; design the best application methods to mitigate changing climate.
4.E. Discover and develop new attractants for mosquitoes and other biting arthropods.
4.F. Discover and develop new repellents for mosquitoes and other biting arthropods.
Approach:
Objective 1 will discover and characterize factors impacting mosquito and biting fly distribution and the threat of disease outbreaks (Hypothesis 1: Dynamic environmental factors predict mosquito vector population timing, distribution, and densities, and thus exotic mosquito-borne disease risk).
Objective 2 will determine, monitor, and map resistance status of natural populations (Hypothesis 2.A. Sodium channel mutations can be used to predict toxicological pyrethroid resistance). Sterile insect technique will be developed for mosquito management (Hypothesis 2.B. Release of sterile irradiated Ae. aegypti males can suppress natural populations in endemic regions). Objective 2 will evaluate novel spatial repellents and insecticides to circumvent pyrethroid resistance (Hypothesis 2.C. Novel spatial repellents can be discovered that will be efficacious on both susceptible and resistant strains of mosquitoes). It will also restore insecticide susceptibility in Aedes aegypti using natural techniques (Hypothesis 2.D. Reintroduction of pyrethroid susceptible adults into populations of strongly resistant adults will return susceptibility allowing longer efficacy or renewed usefulness of existing pyrethroids).
Objective 3 will develop novel strategies and technologies for improved surveillance and monitoring of mosquitoes and biting flies (Hypothesis 3. Evaluate new and optimize existing trapping systems. Changes in H-trap design will improve vector species surveillance).
Objective 4 will evaluate fabric treatments for improved protection from insect bites through clothing (Hypothesis 4.A. Factors related to fabric composition, construction, and repellent treatments can be optimized to provide improved levels of bite protection from mosquitoes). It will also evaluate and optimize spatial repellent systems (Hypothesis 4.B. Devices that release spatial repellents can reduce host-vector contact by mosquitoes and other biting flies). Objective 4 will evaluate new and optimize existing treated targets for management of mosquitoes and biting flies (Hypothesis 4.C. Insecticide impregnated targets can effectively reduce nuisance mosquito populations). It will evaluate factors that influence efficacy of aerosol and residual control techniques. It will also design the best application methods to mitigate the effects of changing climate (Hypothesis 4.D. Populations of mosquito, sand fly, and filth fly disease vectors may be reduced by accounting for environmental factors that limit efficacy of aerosol and residual pesticide treatments). Objective 4 will discover and develop new attractants for mosquitoes and other biting arthropods to improve trap efficacy. It will also discover and develop new repellents for mosquitoes and other biting arthropods (Hypothesis 4.E. Mosquitoes are selective in choosing and use flower volatiles to locate preferred nectar sources).
