Last Updated: 27/10/2016
Endectocides for controlling transmission of mosquito-borne diseases
Objectives
This project will research whether providing endectocides, drugs like ivermectin that kill parasitic worms, to animals and humans will effectively kill mosquitoes which feed on them.
Through targeted and spaced drug administration, mosquitoes incubating disease-causing pathogens are expected to die prematurely, thus interrupting disease transmission, but these methods would limit the development of endectocide resistance.
Controlling malaria parasite transmission among endemic communities by targeting vectors is a cornerstone of successful malaria control, and critical to future malaria elimination and eradication efforts. This concept is underscored by examining the simple models of Anopheles spp. vectorial capacity (VC) for malaria transmission and the basic reproductive number (R0) of malaria; proportionally, the two most influential variables affecting VC and R0 are the daily mosquito survival rate (p) and the human biting rate (a). Targeting these variables usually consists of attacking Anopheles vectors with insecticides, for example, with long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLIN) or indoor residual spraying (IRS). The problem is that mosquito populations can rapidly adapt to these control methods to maintain transmission.
Endectocides for Controlling Transmission of Mosquito-borne Diseases
Oct 2008 — Apr 2010
$100,000
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