Publications by authors named "Nasci R"

In July and August of 2018, a field trial was conducted to examine the effectiveness of the North Shore Mosquito Abatement District's operational ultra-low volume (ULV) adulticide program. Two study sites were selected in Skokie, IL, and treated by truck-based ULV with d-phenothrin and prallethrin synergized with piperonyl butoxide over the course of a month. Natural mosquito populations were sampled via Biogents (BG)-counter baited with CO or Alfalfa infusion.

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Over 50,000 human West Nile virus (WNV) (Flaviviridae: Flavivirus) clinical disease cases have been reported to the CDC during the 20 yr that the virus has been present in the United States. Despite the establishment and expansion of WNV-focused mosquito surveillance and control efforts and a renewed emphasis on applying integrated pest management (IPM) principles to WNV control, periodic local and regional WNV epidemics with case reports exceeding 2,000 cases per year have occurred during 13 of those 20 yr in the United States. In this article, we examine the scientific literature for evidence that mosquito control activities directed at either preventing WNV outbreaks or stopping those outbreaks once in progress reduce WNV human disease or have a measurable impact on entomological indicators of human WNV risk.

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During June to September 2017, 7 mosquito control programs in the midwestern United States evaluated a total of 9 catch basin larvicide formulations using similar protocols. Treated basins were monitored among study sites to observe when larvicides failed to control mosquitoes in 25% or more basins within a site. Overall, when monitoring occurred within the maximum label duration of the larvicides, sites treated with a single larvicide tablet or briquet surpassed the 25% fail threshold more often than pellet and granular larvicide formulations.

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Effectiveness in controlling mosquitoes in storm water catch basins in the North Shore Mosquito Abatement District (northeastern Cook County, Illinois) was determined for 3 formulations of methoprene-based larvicides (Altosid XR 150-day Briquets, Altosid 30-day Pellets, Altosid 30-day Granules) in 2017 using a pass/fail evaluation criterion, in which emergence of a single adult from pupae collected from the basin constituted a control failure. Over the course of the 16-week study, basins receiving the 150-day briquets were treated once and basins receiving the pellet and granular formulations were treated every 4 weeks, with the first treatment occurring during the last week of May. Untreated basins were also observed for comparison with the treated basins.

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Effectiveness in controlling mosquito larvae in stormwater catch basins in the North Shore Mosquito Abatement District (northeastern Cook County, IL) was determined for 2 extended-duration larvicides indicating up to 180 days of control on their labels (Natular™ XRT, FourStar® Briquet) and 3 larvicides indicating up to 30 days of control (Natular™ T30, Natular™ G30, and VectoLex® FG). Over the course of the 26-wk study, catch basins receiving the extended-release products were treated twice (an initial treatment in early April followed by a re-treatment after 16 wk), and catch basins receiving the shorter-duration products were treated every 28 days, with the 1st treatment occurring during the 1st week in April. Control in an individual catch basin was considered to have failed if late-stage larvae or pupae were found in 2-dip samples taken from the catch basin.

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From June to September, 2016, 100 catch basins in eight parking areas were monitored weekly for the presence of mosquito pupae in the operational area of the North Shore Mosquito Abatement District (NSMAD) located just north of Chicago, IL, U.S.A.

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Since the mid-1990s, the North Shore Mosquito Abatement District (NSMAD) has applied extended-release formulations of mosquito larvicides to approximately 50,000 catch basins in the suburbs north of Chicago, IL, USA. This is performed as part of NSMAD's efforts to reduce local populations of the West Nile virus vector, Culex pipiens. Analyses from NSMAD's monitoring of larvicide-treated basins throughout the District over the 2014 and 2015 seasons suggest that larvicides intended to provide extended durations of control (30-180 days) failed to provide control for the maximum duration specified on the product label in approximately 25% of the District's basins.

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West Nile virus (WNV) is enzootic in northern Colorado. Annual surveillance activities in Fort Collins, CO, include collecting female Culex mosquitoes and testing them for the presence of WNV RNA in order to calculate 1) Culex female abundance, 2) WNV infection rate, and 3) the vector index (VI). These entomological risk indices inform public policy regarding the need for emergency adulticiding.

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Before 1999, the United States had no appropriated funding for arboviral surveillance, and many states conducted no such surveillance. After emergence of West Nile virus (WNV), federal funding was distributed to state and selected local health departments to build WNV surveillance systems. The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists conducted assessments of surveillance capacity of resulting systems in 2004 and in 2012; the assessment in 2012 was conducted after a 61% decrease in federal funding.

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West Nile virus (WNV) is a leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the United States. Annual seasonal outbreaks vary in size and location. Predicting where and when higher than normal WNV transmission will occur can help direct limited public health resources.

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Surveillance systems for West Nile virus (WNV) combine several methods to determine the location and timing of viral amplification. The value of each surveillance method must be measured against its efficiency and costs to optimize integrated vector management and suppress WNV transmission to the human population. Here we extend previous comparisons of WNV surveillance methods by equitably comparing the most common methods after standardization on the basis of spatial sampling density and costs, and by estimating optimal levels of sampling effort for mosquito traps and sentinel chicken flocks.

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Background: Heartland virus (HRTV) is a tick-borne phlebovirus recently described in Missouri that is associated with fever, leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia. The virus has also been detected in Ambylomma americanum ticks.

Methods: Here we report the first fatal case of HRTV disease in an 80-year-old Tennessee resident.

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During 2012, four north-central Texas counties experienced high West Nile virus (WNV) disease incidence. Aerial insecticide spraying was conducted in two counties. To evaluate the effect of spraying on WNV disease, we calculated incidence rate ratios (IRRs) in treated and untreated areas by comparing incidence before and after spraying; for unsprayed areas, before and after periods were defined by using dates from a corresponding sprayed area.

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We evaluated the commercially available Rapid Analyte Measurement Platform (RAMP) West Nile virus (WNV) antigen detection test for sensitivity and consistency with real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) confirmation testing. Panels of samples consisting of WNV-spiked mosquito pools and negative control pools were sent to 20 mosquito abatement districts (MADs) that processed the pools using the RAMP assay. The samples were then sent to the reference laboratories used by the MADs for confirmation by real-time RT-PCR.

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Objective: The western borderland between Yunnan Province, China, and Myanmar is characterized by a climate that facilitates year-round production of mosquitoes. Numerous mosquito-transmitted viruses, including Japanese encephalitis virus circulate in this area. This project was to describe seasonal patterns in mosquito species abundance and arbovirus activity in the mosquito populations.

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In 2010, Arizona experienced an unusually early and severe outbreak of West Nile virus (WNV) centered in the southeast section of Maricopa County. Entomological data were collected before and during the outbreak, from May 25 through July 31, 2010, using the CO2-baited light trap monitoring system maintained by Maricopa County Vector Control. In the outbreak area, the most abundant species in the Town of Gilbert and in the area covered by the Roosevelt Water Conservation District was Culex quinquefasciatus, constituting 75.

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Importance: Since its introduction in North America in 1999, West Nile virus has produced the 3 largest arboviral neuroinvasive disease outbreaks ever recorded in the United States.

Objective: To review the ecology, virology, epidemiology, clinical characteristics, diagnosis, prevention, and control of West Nile virus, with an emphasis on North America.

Evidence Review: PubMed electronic database was searched through February 5, 2013.

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In 2012, Texas experienced the largest outbreak of human West Nile encephalitis (WNE) since the introduction of West Nile virus (WNV) in 2002. Despite the large number of WNV infections, data indicated the rate of reported WNE among human cases was no higher than in previous years. To determine whether the increase in WNV human cases could have been caused by viral genetic changes, the complete genomes of 17 isolates made from mosquito pools in Dallas and Montgomery Counties in 2012 were sequenced.

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An outbreak of fever and meningitis/encephalitis occurred in Xinjiang, China, from August 5 to September 3, 2004. In preliminary diagnostic testing, several cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum samples showed positive immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody to Japanese encephalitis virus. Here, the CSF and serum samples of 6 cases collected at that time were tested by immunofluorescence assay (IFA), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and plaque reduction neutralization assay (PRNT) for the existence of IgM antibody or neutralization antibody against West Nile virus (WNV) or other arboviruses.

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Little is known of the interactions between insect-only flaviviruses and other arboviruses in their mosquito hosts, or the potential public health significance of these associations. The specific aims of this study were to describe the geographic distribution, prevalence, and seasonal infection rates of Culex flavivirus (CxFV) and West Nile virus (WNV) in Culex quinquefasciatus Say in the Southeastern United States, investigate the potential association between CxFV and WNV prevalence in Cx. quinquefasciatus and describe the phylogenetic relationship among CxFV and WNV isolates from the Southeastern United States and around the world.

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