Development of Optimized Endectocide-treated Bird Feed Formulations for West Nile Virus Control

项目总结/摘要 用于西尼罗病毒控制的优化杀内毒素处理的鸟饲料配方的开发 STTR第一阶段申请 PI：布雷迪克拉普赛德，TDA研究公司; Brian Foy博士，科罗拉多州立大学 西尼罗河病毒（WNV）是美国国内获得性虫媒病毒病的主要原因， 导致人类和野生动物每年都出现重大疾病和死亡。西尼罗河病毒是由 蚊子，主要是库蚊属（Culex spp.）人类西尼罗河病毒疫苗的开发和销售仍然是 高度不确定性，因此以蚊子媒介为目标的杀虫剂仍将是最实用的策略， 在可预见的未来控制西尼罗河病毒。然而，这些杀虫剂的应用是不加区别的， 杀虫剂的数量，仅限于能够负担得起的较富裕的城市和半城市社区， 由于毒性问题经常遭到反对，并且由于关注滋扰问题而经常针对性不强 蚊子因此，科罗拉多州立大学（CSU）和TDA研究公司。(TDA)建议开发一个 新的，环境安全的战略，以尽量减少西尼罗河病毒在美国的传播，我们的方法不 使用杀虫剂喷洒，但预计将有效控制库蚊属的局部西尼罗河病毒传播。 蚊子 最近，科罗拉多州立大学的研究人员在实验室中证明， 对美国西部的主要西尼罗河病毒载体--跗库蚊具有高度活性。我们的方法利用这一点 特别安全的药物来制作经过处理的鸟类饲料。作为库蚊主要血粉来源的鸟类 然后，跗跖将在战略性地放置在WNV传播热点的喂食器处摄取这种处理过的饲料， 叮咬这些经处理的宿主的蚊子在它们能够传播西尼罗河病毒之前将具有很高的死亡概率， 从而降低了馈线周围区域中WNV的风险。我们对第一阶段项目的做法是， 开发和测试环境稳定的（例如，对阳光、湿度、热等稳定）药物制剂， 生产经处理的饲料和处理当地鸟类宿主。然后，我们将证明我们的可行性， 通过显示制剂在恶劣环境条件下是稳定的， 将稳定的制剂转移到潜在的宿主，随后转移到蚊子。收集关键 还将收集实地数据，以收集经验证据，用于构建第二阶段的模型，我们 还将评估其与替代品相比的成本效益。 拟议项目的总体目标是提供一种简单、低成本、但经过科学验证的工具， 最大限度地减少西尼罗河病毒在美国传播的当地风险，最初的重点是大平原， 发病率最高。随着概念验证（在第二阶段之后）的到来，我们将扩大战略 来控制美国和世界其他地区的西尼罗河病毒和其他人畜共患虫媒病毒。

Project Summary/Abstract Development of Optimized Endectocide-treated Bird Feed Formulations for West Nile Virus Control STTR Phase I Application PIs: Brady Clapsaddle, TDA Research, Inc.; Dr. Brian Foy, Colorado State University West Nile Virus (WNV) is the leading cause of domestically acquired arboviral disease in the United States, resulting in significant disease and death every year in both humans and wildlife. WNV is spread by mosquitoes, principally Culex spp. The development and marketing of a WNV vaccine for humans remains highly uncertain, thus targeting the mosquito vector with insecticides will remain the most practical strategy to control WNV for the foreseeable future. These insecticide applications, however, are indiscriminant, use large quantities of insecticide, are limited to wealthier urban and semi-urban communities that can afford them, are frequently opposed due to toxicity concerns, and are often poorly targeted due to focus on nuisance mosquitoes. Thus, Colorado State University (CSU) and TDA Research, Inc. (TDA) propose to develop a novel, environmentally-safe strategy to minimize the transmission of WNV in the U.S. Our method does not use utilize insecticide spraying but is expected to effectively control localized WNV transmission by Culex spp. mosquitoes. Recently, researchers at CSU have demonstrated in the laboratory that the endectocidal drug ivermectin is highly active against the primary WNV vector in the western U.S, Culex tarsalis. Our method utilizes this exceptionally safe drug to make treated bird feed. Birds that serve as the primary blood meal source for Culex tarsalis will then ingest this treated feed at feeders strategically placed in WNV-transmission hotspots, and mosquitoes that bite these treated hosts will have a high probability of dying before they can transmit WNV, thus lowering the risk of WNV in a zone around the feeder. Our approach for this Phase I project will be to develop and test an environmentally stabilized (e.g., stable to sunlight, humidity, heat, etc.) drug formulation for production of the treated feed and treatment of local bird hosts. We will then demonstrate the feasibility of our approach by showing that the formulation is stable under harsh environmental conditions, and that the stabilized formulation is transferred to potential hosts and subsequently to mosquitoes. Collection of crucial field data will also be done to gather empirical evidence to be used to construct a model in Phase II, and we will also assess its cost-effectiveness compared to alternatives. The overall goal of the proposed project is to provide a simple and low-cost, but scientifically-validated tool to minimize local risk of WNV transmission in the U.S., with an initial focus on the Great Plains, the region with the highest incidence of disease. With proof-of-concept in hand (after Phase II), we would expand the strategy to control WNV and other zoonotic arboviruses in other regions of the U.S. and the world.