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

项目摘要/摘要 用于西尼罗河病毒控制的杀菌剂处理禽类饲料优化配方的开发 STTR第一阶段应用 PIS：Brady Clapsaddle，TDA Research，Inc.；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， 每年在人类和野生动物中造成严重的疾病和死亡。西尼罗河病毒是通过 蚊子，主要是库蚊。用于人类的西尼罗河病毒疫苗的开发和营销仍在继续 高度不确定，因此以蚊子媒介为目标的杀虫剂仍将是最实际的策略 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分青红皂白的，使用大量 杀虫剂的数量仅限于负担得起的较富裕的城市和半城市社区， 经常因为毒性问题而被反对，而且往往因为关注滋扰而针对性较差 蚊子。因此，科罗拉多州立大学(CSU)和TDA Research，Inc.(TDA)提议开发一种 新的、环境安全的策略，将西尼罗河病毒在美国的传播降至最低。我们的方法不 使用杀虫剂喷雾，但有望有效控制库蚊局部传播西尼罗河病毒。 蚊子。 最近，CSU的研究人员在实验室中证明了杀虫药物伊维菌素是 对美国西部的主要西尼罗河病毒媒介--塔萨库蚊高度活跃。我们的方法利用了这一点 非常安全的药物，用于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，塔尔萨利会在战略上放置在西尼罗河病毒传播热点的喂食器上摄取这种经过处理的饲料，以及 叮咬这些经过治疗的宿主的蚊子很有可能在传播西尼罗河病毒之前死亡， 从而降低了馈线周围区域感染西尼罗河病毒的风险。我们对此第一阶段项目的方法将是 开发和测试环境稳定(例如，对阳光、湿度、高温等稳定)治疗的药物配方 加工饲料的生产和对当地鸟类宿主的处理。然后我们将展示我们的 通过证明该配方在恶劣的环境条件下是稳定的，以及 稳定的配方被转移到潜在的宿主，然后转移到蚊子身上。收集关键信息 还将进行现场数据收集，以收集经验证据，用于在第二阶段构建模型，我们 还将评估其与替代方案相比的成本效益。 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 将美国当地传播西尼罗河病毒的风险降至最低，最初重点放在大平原地区，该地区拥有 发病率最高的疾病。有了概念验证(在第二阶段之后)，我们将扩展该战略 在美国和世界其他地区控制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.