Grant: Engage Grants Program

The product under development is a mosquito trap which offers improved control and monitoring of the West Nile Virus (WNV) in mosquito populations. The project is a collaborative effort with Entomogen Inc. who have been involved with WNV monitoring since it appeared in Canada in 2001. Since 1999, almost 20 000 human cases of WNV were reported in the USA alone. The disease affects all mammals and its effects are strongest in the developing world where treatment options are limited. This product uses a selective pheromone based attractant, in contrast to the current non-selective method, relying primarily on carbon dioxide based traps which are attractive for all mosquitos actively looking to feed. Selectivity is important because the WNV is transmitted only by species of mosquito within the Culex genus. Testing of Culex infected mosquitos is the most accurate indicator of WNV activity in a specific area. Selectively targeting this demographic of mosquitos for surveillance would greatly decrease the costs of WNV monitoring efforts by significantly reducing the number of test subjects. Additionally, the control of WNV through pesticide based measures is disruptive to delicate ecosystems and produces an ever growing number of pesticide-resistant mosquitos. Use of an attractant trap in conjunction with insecticides would help alleviate the environmental impact as well as slow the accumulation of resistant mosquitos. The pheromone attractant employed in the trap is selective for onlyWNV carrying mosquitos and could be adapted for either monitoring or control applications.