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Funded Project |
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Funding Program:
Enhancement Grants - Special Projects |
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Project Title:
Development of a Mosquito Abatement Program in Texas: Monitoring and Predicting Insecticide Resistance |
Project Directors (PDs):
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Lead State: TX Lead Organization: Texas A&M University |
| Undesignated Funding: $35,169 |
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Start Date: Jul-01-2004 End Date: Jun-30-2005 |
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Pests Involved: mosquito |
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Summary:
West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis, and canine heartworm are just a few diseases of concern to Texans either directly, depending on the pathogen, through infection of themselves or their animals, and all are transmitted or vectored by mosquitoes that occur in both rural and urban areas of Texas. Reducing risk of these diseases to Texans and their companion animals will require effective management of their mosquito vectors by all public and private organizations, while reducing insecticide resistance within those mosquito populations being suppressed. However, at this time, all mosquito populations that have been sampled in several areas of Houston, TX are resistant to malathion, which is a common adulticide for mosquitoes. Because of resistance to malathion, the Harris Co. Mosquito Control District has ONLY one available adulticide, which is resmethrin (formulated with a synergist, piperonyl butoxide). Dangerously, low to medium levels of survival to resmethrin in mosquitoes from Area 51 have been detected beginning in 1999, weakening our ability to effectively control mosquito-transmitted diseases. The objectives of this project will improve mosquito control for the Harris County Mosquito District (Houston, TX) by examining populations of the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus in the urban setting of Area 51 and others in Houston, TX and developing a monitoring program for determining their level of resistance to malathion as well as resmethrin. Resistance will be quantified and analyzed at the population level and the mechanisms studied at the molecular level. Information will be disseminated to the public through the improvement and development of educational materials on mosquito abatement. Such an early warning system would allow appropriate alterations in control measures to be taken in order to reduce resistance levels and continue effective suppression of mosquito populations. The resistance management plans to be developed will focus on, 1) sampling Cx. quinquefasciatus populations being suppressed with malathion, resmethrin, and other adulticides in this district and 2) determining proper timing in alternating available insecticides available for controlling adult mosquitoes in order to minimize the development of resistance in their resident populations. Results generated from this project will also be used to develop new, as well as improve existing, materials utilized for educating the general public on community efforts for suppressing mosquito populations in urban, as well as rural settings. These materials will be made available to the general public through state-wide extension offices, as well as through Texas A&M University websites developed and managed by those participating on this project.
Objectives: Task 1. Monitor mosquito populations, as well as develop insecticide resistance management strategies, in Houston, TX. Task 2. Begin to investigate the molecular mechanisms of pyrethroid resistance in populations of Culex quinquefasciatus Say in Houston, TX. Task 3. Improve existing educational materials and programs on mosquito control and resistance management strategies for Houston, TX. |
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