Collaboration and Innovation: CDCs COE Partnerships with AMCA Professionals Symposium I
Collaboration and Innovation: CDCs COE Partnerships with AMCA Professionals Symposium I
Yearly seasonal outbreaks of West Nile virus persist in the city and suburbs of Chicago, IL, which is now considered a ‘hot spot’ for WNV activity. To reduce WNV transmission, ultra-low volume (ULV) adulticide applications are regularly used to kill Culex pipiens and Cx. restuans mosquitoes. The real-world effectiveness of adulticide application has not been comprehensively assessed, and prior studies have yielded inconclusive or conflicting results. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of five sequential weekly truck-mounted ULV adulticide applications in large, residential areas in the northern suburbs of Chicago, IL in collaboration with the Northwest Mosquito Abatement District. Each day, Cx. pipiens and Cx. restuans host-seeking and gravid mosquitoes were collected for assessment of abundance, age structure, and WNV infection rates. Adulticide application resulted in significant reductions of both host-seeking and gravid abundance the night of treatment. The reduction in host-seeking mosquitoes was followed by a reduction in gravid mosquitoes trapped three and four days after adulticide application, and an increase in the proportion of nulliparous mosquitoes. WNV infection rates were unchanged in 2019, when WNV infection rates were already low. However, WNV infection rates were significantly reduced in treatment as compared to control sites when infection rates were overall higher.