Research Accomplishment Reports 2007

Research and Development Leading to an Integrated Mosquito Management Program for Kentucky

G.C. Brown
Department of Entomology

 

Project Description

This project seeks to organize and coordinate statewide efforts at managing insect vectors of human and animal diseases, particularly mosquitoes. The spread of West Nile Virus throughout the state in a single season showed that Kentucky is ill-prepared to face a threat from a serious insect-vectored disease. Yet, it is just a matter of time before that threat is realized.

Consequently, this project monitors disease vectors throughout the state, coordinates control efforts, and trains private and municipal pest control professionals in current and emerging vector control methodology. We work with county health departments throughout the state on disease vector surveillance and management. We have an annual mosquito identification workshop in the spring with about a dozen people from around the state in attendance. We are the consulting entomologists for Louisville and serve as consulting entomologists for other municipalities in Kentucky as well.

In addition to the mosquito management work, we have continued to monitor the sandfly invasion that is currently underway in Kentucky. We have confirmed two species of sandflies now in Kentucky, Luzomyia shannoni and Lu. vexator. Of these, about 85% of the specimens that we collect are Lu. shannoni. The population at monoitoring sites in So. Central KY and Central KY increased about 10-fold over 2006 densities and they were found for the first time in NE Kentucky. These flies are competent vectors of human, canine, and equine leishmaniasis. Furthermore, an outbreak of human leishmaniasis was detected in Northern Texas in 2007, where Lu. shannoni is known to be present in significant densities. This is about 900 km further north than any previously reported outbreak of this disease. We consider the growth of sandfly populations to be a significant near-term human health threat in Kentucky.

Impact

Many of the largest municipalities in Kentucky now perform their own mosquito surveillance and identification as a direct result of our efforts. Further, should a statewide effort on vector suppression be necessary, for example on leishmaniasis suppression, we are in the position to coordinate that effort and to provide insight into the spatial and temporal distribution of the vectors in the state.

Publications

Trout, R. T.; Brown, G. C.; Potter, M. F.; Hubbard, J. L. 2007. Efficacy of Two Pyrethroid Insecticides Applied as Barrier Treatments for Managing Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) Populations in Suburban Residential Properties. J. Med. Entomol. 44:470-478.

Trout, R.T. and G.C. Brown. 2008 In Press. "Lambdacyhalothrin for managing mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) populations at sites with increased densities" J. Am Mosq Control Assoc. American Mosquito Control Association.