Geospatial decision support system for mosquito control programs

Half the world's population is at risk from dengue - the most rapidly spreading vector-borne disease with 50 million new infections every year in over 100 countries. Chikungunya is another major threat. Both diseases are transmitted by Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquitoes; there is no vaccine or specific medication for either disease. Recent advances in molecular technology developed by Oxitec Ltd, RIDL(R), have opened the potential of utilising the sterile insect technique (SIT) for the control of Aedes mosquitoes. By removing the need for radiation or chemosterilisation, RIDL-SIT has substantially improved classical SIT and rendered it applicable to difficult targets such as Aedes. Genetically sterile RIDL male mosquitoes, when released in large numbers, will mate with wild type female mosquitoes; the progeny from such matings die as larvae or pupae, thus resulting in a crash in the population of the mosquito vector below the entomological threshold [1-3]. A key component to successful implementation of a RIDL-SIT vector control strategy will be the adoption of appropriate Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and allied Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Remote Sensing (RS) technologies to enable the input, storage, manipulation and output of geographical information [4]. GIS systems are increasingly used in the fight against vector-borne disease enabling better planning and implementation of more targeted and therefore efficient vector control efforts [5,6]. Aedes mosquitoes are spatially and temporally heterogeneous at a relatively fine scale, with significant differences observed from street to street and changing week by week. The student will develop a dynamic GIS system operating at appropriate fine scale, to be evaluated, for recording and interpretation of mosquito surveillance data both temporally and spatially. This data will be used to inform and optimize release patterns and numbers of sterile males for field trials and subsequently area wide control programs. Existing population dynamic models together with behavioural models of dispersal and longevity of release males will be integrated with the GIS system to achieve this. In other words the GIS system will be designed to inform release of sterile males in the right peace, at the right time, and with the optimum numbers to target rapidly changing and spatially heterogeneous wild population. The student will also investigate, and integrate if appropriate, data sources known to influence Aedes population such as weather, demographics, habitat etc. that will complement entomological survey data to highlight area of higher risk of vector population outbreak corresponding disease outbreak. The system will also incorporate epidemiological data. Our ongoing program of field studies provides the ideal opportunity/platform for developing and evaluating such GIS systems. The student will tailor the system so that it can be scaled up to area wide city, regional and national programs. With this in mind, the student will develop user web based interface for both data input and output designed to cater for varied needs and technical abilities of public heath officials, program managers, field monitoring staff, control operations etc. Data input systems will be developed that will allow rapid and seamless input of field monitoring data collected with GPS enabled handheld units / smartphones. Relevant output will be accessible from multiple locations via the web, insuring the system easily accessible and scalable. 1 Alphey L, et al (2007) In Transgenesis and the management of vector-borne disease Aksoy, S, Landes Bioscience, 93-103 2 Alphey L ,et al (2010) Vector-Borne and Zoonoti Disease 10:295-311 2 Thomas D. et al (2000) Science, 287, 2474-6 3 Cox J (2007) In Area-Wide Control of Insect Pests. IAEA, 199-204 4 Lozano-Fuentes S. et al (2008) Bulletin WHO 86:718-25 5 Hay SI et al. (2006) PLoS Med 3:e437