UA Project: Advancing Vector-borne Disease Surveillance in American Indian Communities

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Project Summary/Abstract The Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Cocopah Environmental Protection Office staff, medical entomologists from the University of California, vector-borne disease researchers from the University of Arizona and other community partners will build upon existing participatory research and outreach partnerships in the proposed project. Arizona often ranks amongst the highest in West Nile virus infection and related deaths relative to other states. Additionally, high populations of the invasive yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti in communities along southern border areas makes mosquito and pathogen surveillance critically important. Ae. aegypti is the primary vector of dengue and Zika viruses which circulate in the neighboring border states of Sonora and Baja California, Mexico. Ticks are important vectors causing human disease. Among the most significant is Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), a bacterial infection caused by Rickettsia rickettsii, which kills more people in North America than any other tickborne disease. Native American populations are disproportionately impacted. Since the first locally acquired case was identified in Arizona in 2003, the disease has become endemic in many Native American communities. In Arizona, R. rickettsii is vectored by the brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus and to date there have been more than 436 cases of RMSF with a case fatality rate of 10%, which is 15 times the national rate for this disease. There have been no surveillance efforts for vector or pathogen prevalence outside of post-epidemic events. Supportive efforts are needed to identify high-risk surveillance gaps, undertake vector and pathogen prevalence assessments, and generate access to essential infrastructure and services in the short-term. Vector-borne Disease Research Committees (VbDRC) within collaborating tribal communities will direct high priority vector surveillance and inform Tribal leadership of technical findings. Creation of Vector Risk Mitigation Plans and relevant community specific practicum training will be provided for tribal environmental health, public health and medical practitioners serving communities. Additionally, investment in Native American students through financially supported vector research experiences will help build the future public and environmental health workforce. There is strong evidence that student research experiences improve educational persistence, thus UA faculty and VbDRC members will mentor Native American students through community-based research projects.