Evaluation of the Mosquito Sentinel 360 Trap in Florida Residential Environments

Since 2001, alligator farms in the United States have sustained substantial economic losses because of West Nile virus (WNV) outbreaks in American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis). Once an initial infection is introduced into captive alligators, WNV can spread among animals by contaminative transmission. Some outbreaks have been linked to feeding on infected meat or the introduction of infected hatchlings, but the initial source of WNV infection has been uncertain in other outbreaks. We conducted a study to identify species composition and presence of WNV in mosquito populations associated with alligator farms in Louisiana. A second objective of this study was to identify the origin of mosquito blood meals collected at commercial alligator farms. Mosquitoes were collected from 2004 to 2006, using Centers for Disease Control light traps, gravid traps, backpack aspirators, and resting boxes. We collected a total of 58,975 mosquitoes representing 24 species. WNV was detected in 41 pools of females from 11 mosquito species: Anopheles crucians, Anopheles quadrimaculatus, Coquillettidia perturbans, Culex coronator, Culex erraticus, Culex nigripalpus, Culex quinquefasciatus, Mansonia titillans, Aedes sollicitans, Psorophora columbiae, and Uranotaenia lowii. The blood meal origins of 213 field-collected mosquitoes were identified based on cytochrome B sequence identity. Alligator blood was detected in 21 mosquitoes representing six species of mosquitoes, including Cx. quinquefasciatus and Cx. nigripalpus. Our results showed that mosquitoes of species that are known to be competent vectors of WNV fed regularly on captive alligators. Therefore, mosquitoes probably are important in the role of transmission of WNV at alligator farms.

Since 2001, alligator farms in the United States have sustained substantial economic losses because of West Nile virus (WNV) outbreaks in American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis). Once an initial infection is introduced into captive alligators, WNV can spread among animals by contaminative transmission. Some outbreaks have been linked to feeding on infected meat or the introduction of infected hatchlings, but the initial source of WNV infection has been uncertain in other outbreaks. We conducted a study to identify species composition and presence of WNV in mosquito populations associated with alligator farms in Louisiana. A second objective of this study was to identify the origin of mosquito blood meals collected at commercial alligator farms. Mosquitoes were collected from 2004 to 2006, using Centers for Disease Control light traps, gravid traps, backpack aspirators, and resting boxes. We collected a total of 58,975 mosquitoes representing 24 species. WNV was detected in 41 pools of females from 11 mosquito species: Anopheles crucians, Anopheles quadrimaculatus, Coquillettidia perturbans, Culex coronator, Culex erraticus, Culex nigripalpus, Culex quinquefasciatus, Mansonia titillans, Aedes sollicitans, Psorophora columbiae, and Uranotaenia lowii. The blood meal origins of 213 field-collected mosquitoes were identified based on cytochrome B sequence identity. Alligator blood was detected in 21 mosquitoes representing six species of mosquitoes, including Cx. quinquefasciatus and Cx. nigripalpus. Our results showed that mosquitoes of species that are known to be competent vectors of WNV fed regularly on captive alligators. Therefore, mosquitoes probably are important in the role of transmission of WNV at alligator farms.

Mosquito surveillance typically uses Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) mosquito light traps baited with CO2. From January 2013 to March 2015, we sampled seven field sites using three active mosquito-trapping techniques (two different aspirators and a sweep net) and the stationary CO2-baited CDC mosquito light trap to determine mosquito capture efficacy for each technique. Sampling occurred in four suburban backyards and three dog kennel facilities near Gainesville, FL, USA; species collection and relative abundance were measured. A total of 32 species and 70,090 individual mosquitoes were collected, including a new record for Alachua County, Florida, Aedes hendersoni (Cockerell). The dominant (>5% of total capture) mosquito species collected during the study included Aedes atlanticus (Dyar and Knab), Aedes infirmatus (Dyar and Knab), Anopheles crucians Wiedemann, Culiseta melanura (Coquillett), Culex erraticus (Dyar and Knab), Culex nigripalpus Theobald, and Uranotaenia sapphirina (Osten Sacken). The CDC trap captured the most species (29), followed by large aspirator (28), small aspirator (26), and the sweep net (23). All dominant species were captured with each sampling technique. Excluding Wyeomyia mitchellii (Theobald), all subdominant species (1-5% of total capture) were collected with each sampling technique. Future sampling should consider the utility (e.g., large numbers are readily collected) and limitations (e.g., personnel requirements) of aspirator collections when designing field-based mosquito sampling projects, especially those in residential areas or those focused upon species captured.

We conducted trials in Cairns, Australia, to examine if novel updraft light traps collected significantly more mosquitoes than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) model 512 miniature light trap. Two new updraft traps, the Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy (NAQS) Mozzie Trap and a CDC updraft trap, both collected significantly more mosquitoes than the standard CDC light trap, with a mean CDC Trap Index (trap collections relative to paired standard CDC light trap collections) of 3.3 and 2.3, respectively. These traps both had large horizontal suction areas that increased the probability that attracted mosquitoes entered the trap updraft. However, if the CO2 source was located within the updraft of the CDC updraft trap, mosquito collections decreased considerably, indicating that placement of the bait is critical to trap performance. Creating an updraft by simply inverting the CDC trap body did not increase collections. The Mosquito Magnet X trap also did not collect significantly more mosquitoes than the CDC trap. Two CDC light traps sharing a 600 ml CO2/min gas line collected ca. 50% more mosquitoes than a single CDC trap baited with 600 ml CO2/min, suggesting that a single gas source could be used on a trap line consisting of multiple trap units. These studies suggest that the optimal trap design should incorporate a CO2 release system that lures mosquitoes to a large updraft within a bowl-shaped trap intake.

Twelve reported mosquito attractants, alone or in combination, and 3 different types of traps were evaluated under field conditions for their attractiveness to host-seeking and oviposition-seeking female Aedes japonicus japonicus and associated woodland species in Windsor, CT, in 2010 and 2011. This study highlights the effectiveness of combining CO2 with the TrapTech Mosquito Lure in a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) miniature light trap for collection of Ae. j. japonicus and associated woodland mammalian-feeding mosquitoes. The TrapTech Mosquito Lure is a proprietary blend of Bedoukian Research, Inc. It contained 250 mg of R-1-octen-3-ol and 1900 mg of ammonium bicarbonate, which were slowly released from a plastic disperser. On average, 567 Ae. j. japonicus individuals were collected per trap per night in the CDC miniature light traps baited with CO2 plus TrapTech Mosquito Lure. The numbers collected in this trap were 28 times and 100 times greater than the numbers of Ae. j. japonicus collected in the CDC miniature light trap baited only with CO2 and the gravid trap baited with hay infusion, 2 commonly used traps to assess abundance of Ae. j. japonicus. The average catches of other mammalian-biting species, Ae. cinereus, Ae. triseriatus, Ae. trivittatus, Ae. vexans, Anopheles punctipennis, An. quadrimaculatus, Coquillettidia perturbans, and Culex salinarius, were all significantly greater in the CDC miniature light trap baited with CO2 plus TrapTech Mosquito Lure than in traps with CO2 alone, but their average numbers were not as large as were those of Ae. j. japonicus. These data demonstrate that the TrapTech Mosquito Lure used in combination with CO2 in a CDC miniature light trap has potential to be a versatile and simple surveillance method for Ae. j. japonicus and other species.

Major nuisance species are found among the floodwater mosquitoes and snow-pool mosquitoes, with the former being the main reason for mosquito control in most areas. Nuisance species vary with the area, and previous reports from northern areas conclude that the nuisance is most often caused by snow-pool mosquitoes. We investigated the mosquito fauna and abundances of host-seeking females using CDC traps baited with carbon dioxide, in Övertorneå city near the Arctic Circle in northern Sweden, after earlier complaints about massive mosquito nuisance. The abundance of host-seeking female mosquitoes was high in 2014, with a maximum of ∼15,400 individuals per CDC trap night, of which 89% was the floodwater mosquito Aedes rossicus. Surprisingly, the main nuisance species was a floodwater mosquito, occurring at the northernmost location it has ever been recorded in Sweden. Our report is probably the first documentation of such large numbers of Aedes rossicus in any locality and probably the first documentation of a severe floodwater mosquito nuisance near the Arctic Circle. Given the historical data on river discharge in the area, the nuisance is recurrent. We conclude that in northern localities, as well as in more southern localities, production of floodwater mosquitoes is a natural component of the floodplain fauna of rivers with a fluctuating water flow regime. Also, the floodwater mosquitoes Aedes sticticus and Aedes vexans were found north of their formerly known distribution in Sweden.

Simplified and improved monitoring traps for sampling sand flies Gunter C. Muller1, Edita, E. Revay2, and John C. Beier3 1Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics , IMRIC, Kuvin Centre for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91120, Israel, guntercmuller@hotmail.com 2Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel 3Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, U.S.A.

COPD Surveillance—United States, 1999-2011

BackgroundTo monitor adult mosquitoes several trapping devices are available. These are differently constructed and use various mechanisms for mosquito attraction, thus resulting in different trapping sensitivities and efficacies for the various species. Mosquito monitoring and surveillance programs in Europe use various types of mosquito traps, but only a few comparisons have been conducted so far. This study compared the performance of four commercial trapping devices, which are commonly used in Europe.MethodsFour different traps, Biogents Sentinel trap (BG trap), Heavy Duty Encephalitis Vector Survey trap (EVS trap), Centres for Disease Control miniature light trap (CDC trap) and Mosquito Magnet Patriot Mosquito trap (MM trap) were compared in a 4 × 4 latin square study. In the years 2012 and 2013, more than seventy 24-hour trap comparisons were conducted at ten different locations in northern and southern Germany, representing urban, forest and floodplain biotopes.ResultsPer 24-hour trapping period, the BG trap caught the widest range of mosquito species, the highest number of individuals of the genus Culex as well as the highest number of individuals of the species Ochlerotatus cantans, Aedes cinereus/geminus, Oc. communis and Culex pipiens/torrentium. The CDC trap revealed best performance for Aedes vexans, whereas the MM trap was most efficient for mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles and the species Oc. geniculatus. The EVS trap did not catch more individuals of any genus or species compared to the other three trapping devices. The BG trap caught the highest number of individuals per trapping period in urban environments as well as in wet forest, while the CDC trap caught the highest number of individuals in the floodplain biotopes. Additionally, the BG trap was most efficient for the number of mosquito species in urban locations.ConclusionThe BG trap showed a significantly better or similar performance compared to the CDC, EVS or MM trap with regard to trapping efficacy for most common mosquito species in Germany, including diversity of mosquito species and number of mosquitoes per trapping period. Thus, the BG trap is probably the best solution for general monitoring or surveillance programs of adult mosquitoes in Central Europe.

Evidence-based nursing practice is essential to the delivery of high-quality care that optimizes patients' outcomes. Studies continue to show improved outcomes when best evidence is used in the delivery of patient care. Despite awareness of the importance of practicing by using best evidence, achieving and sustaining evidence-based practice within practice environments can be challenging, and research suggests that integration of evidence-based practice into daily clinical practice remains inconsistent. This article addresses 4 practice issues that, first, are within the realm of nursing and if changed might improve care of patients and, second, are areas in which the tradition and the evidence do not agree and practice continues to follow tradition. The topics addressed are (1) noninvasive measurement of blood pressure in children, (2) oxygen administration for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, (3) intravenous catheter size and blood administration, and (4) infection control practices to prevent infections. The related beliefs, current evidence, and recommendations for practice related to each topic are described.

Evaluation of attractive toxic sugar bait (ATSB)—Barrier for control of vector and nuisance mosquitoes and its effect on non-target organisms in sub-tropical environments in Florida

The species composition and population dynamics of adult mosquitoes in a wetland near Iuka, MS, were analyzed over a 6-yr period (1997-2002) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection rates of arboviruses determined during five of those years. Blood meals of three likely vector species were identified using a PCR-based method that allows identification of the host to species. Culex erraticus (Dyar & Knab) composed 51.9% of the population during the 6-yr period with 295 females collected per trap night. Eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) virus was detected in six genera of mosquitoes [Coquillettidia perturbans (Walker), Culex restuans Theobald, Culex salinarius Coquillett, Culex erraticus (Dyar & Knab), Anopheles crucians Wiedemann, Anopheles quadrimaculatus Say, Aedes vexans (Meigen), Ochlerotatus triseriatus Say, and Psorophora ferox Humboldt) with positive pools occurring in 1998, 1999, and 2002. Culiseta melanura Coquillett occurred at a low level (< 1%) and was not infected. Saint Louis encephalitis virus was detected once in a single pool of Cx. erraticus in 1998. Neither West Nile virus nor LaCrosse virus was found. Minimum infection rates per 1000 females tested of competent vectors of EEE virus were variable and ranged from 0.14 for Cx. erraticus to 40.0 for Oc. triseriatus. Thirty-nine species of birds were identified in the focus with blood-engorged mosquitoes found to contain meals (n = 29) from eight avian species. The majority of meals was from the great blue heron, Ardea herodias L. (n = 55%), but when bird abundance data were adjusted for avian mass, the brown-headed cowbird, Molothrus ater (Boddaert); blue jay, Cyanocitta cristata (L.); and northern mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos (L.), were overrepresented as hosts.

BackgroundBluetongue virus (BTV) and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) are orbiviruses that can cause fatal vector-borne diseases in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Trapping methods for collecting potential Culicoides vectors of orbiviruses were compared to optimize surveillance studies.MethodsThe number of captured midges and the virus infection rates of midge pools were compared for dry ice-baited Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) traps with or without black light. The number of individual midges of different Culicoides species captured at different crepuscular and nocturnal periods using rotator traps also was determined. The number of species/specimens of Culicoides was measured using five different trap methods including three animal-baited methods, a CDC trap with black light, and a CDC trap with no light.ResultsIn trial one, there was no significant difference (P = 0.37) in the proportion of BTV-infected flies caught in traps with light compared to traps without light. However, there was a significant difference (P = 0.026) for EHDV-infected flies, and 89% were captured in traps with light. In trial two, more specimens of C. debilipalpis were captured in the morning hours (06:00–08:00) than in the evening hours (18:00–20:00). For trial three, the animal-baited traps did not capture any species of Culicoides that were not captured in the CDC light traps. There was no significant difference (P = 0.22) in total specimens captured among all five trap types.ConclusionsSpecimens of Culicoides infected with BTV were not repelled by light traps in the first trial, while the majority of the specimens positive for EHDV were caught in traps with light. For the second trial, specimens of C. debilipalpis were most abundant during early morning hours, and thus spray applications of insecticides for control of that species may be more effective at sunrise rather than sunset. For objective three, no animal-baited trapping method collected different species of midges when compared to the CDC traps with light, which is unlike certain studies conducted in other geographical regions.Graphical abstract

Summary and ConclusionsStudies to determine possible mosquito vectors of Wuchereria bancrofti (nocturnally-periodic strain) in the United States were continued. A total of 1314 dissections was made of mosquitoes from 14 species.Seventy-eight per cent of Culex pipiens examined 9½ days or longer after infection contained infective larvae, and an additional 13 per cent contained larvae in late stages of development. A total infectibility rate of 91 per cent was obtained with this species.Thirty-three per cent of Psorophora discolor in late dissections contained infective larvae, and an additional 34 per cent contained larvae in late stages of development. The infectibility rate of this species was 67 per cent.Occasional development of the larvae to advanced or infective stages was observed in the following species: Culex salinarius, 3 per cent; Anopheles crucians, 2 per cent; Aedes thibaulti, 3 per cent.No development beyond the first stage was observed in Anopheles quadrimaculatus, Anopheles maculipennis freeborni, and Psorophora ciliata.Studies were not completed on Aedes canadensis, Culex erraticus, Mansonia perturbans, and Psorophora cyanescens. However, on the basis of 50 or more late dissections of each species, none of these was a good intermediate host with the exception of Culex erraticus which permitted development of the larvae to late and infective stages in 14 of 49 specimens.The few dissections obtained of Psorophora ferox and P. howardii were negative.It is concluded that Culex pipiens and Psorophora discolor are capable of serving as vectors of Wuchereria bancrofti should other conditions prevail for the spread of the parasite. Incomplete studies on Culex erraticus indicate that this species also might be involved as a transmitter although to a lesser extent. C. salinarius, Anopheles crucians, and Aedes thibaulti might serve as occasional vectors, although their low infectibility rates preclude their playing a major rôle in the spread of the disease. Anopheles quadrimaculatus, A. maculipennis reeborni, and Psorophora ciliata are incapable of transmitting infection. Finally, although studies are not completed, it is apparent that Aedes canadensis, Mansonia perturbans, and Psorophora cyanescens could not serve as vectors of Wuchereria bancrofti.

Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) is a highly dangerous alphavirus vectored by multiple mosquito species in the United states. Vector surveillance and control is used to prevent the spread of EEEV, so highly efficient and attractive traps are needed to accurately assess mosquito abundance. Mosquitoes can be captured in various physiological states (host-seeking, gravid, resting, etc.), depending on what trap type is used. this study analyzed 6 trap types to determine which captured the most EEEV vectors in saint Johns county. the trap types analyzed were the biogents sentinel trap, centers for Disease control (cDc) Light trap, the sentinel Mosquito Arbovirus capture Kit, Mosquito Magnet X trap, cDc resting trap, and gravid traps. For the gravid traps, two different infusions were tested: hay infusion and cattail infusion. Aedes atlanticus Dyar and Knab was the most abundant EEEV vector captured in this study. Other EEEV vectors collected were Aedes vexans (Meigen), Culex erraticus (Dyar and Knab), and Culex nigripalpus theobald. bG traps caught the highest abundance of EEEV vectors (1520 ± 743) compared to all the other trap types analyzed. Despite capturing multiple EEEV vectors during the testing period at the chosen site, Culiseta melanura (coquillett) and Coquillettidia perturbans (Walker) were never captured.