Texas Mosquito Control Response Following Hurricane Harvey. 2020

Whitney A Qualls, and Mark S Breidenbaugh
Zoonosis Control Branch, Texas Department of State Health Services, Austin, TX 78756.

Hurricane Harvey has been recorded as the wettest cyclone in United States history, resulting in devastating and catastrophic flooding for the Texas Gulf Coast. The nature of the path of the hurricane, with multiple landfalls along the Texas Gulf Coast, resulted in the largest aerial mosquito control effort for one single storm. Two mosquito control contractors and the Air Force Aerial Spray Unit of the US Air Force Reserve were used to aerial treat 6,765,971 acres (3,075,441 ha) in 29 of the 60 disaster-declared counties in Texas. During the response, 101,253 liters of Dibrom® (active ingredient [AI]: naled) and 48,735 liters of Duet™ (AI: 1% prallethrin and 5% sumithrin) were used. In 23/29 counties requesting aerial spraying, mosquito control contractors were used to conduct pre- and postaerial application mosquito surveillance. The remaining 6 counties conducted their own surveillance during the response. A total of 105,153 mosquitoes in 7 genera and 35 species were collected during this response with the major floodwater nuisance mosquito being Psorophora columbiae. The most abundant vector mosquito collected was Culex nigripalpus. Duet at the 0.8% and 1% application rates resulted in 49% and 69% control of Ps. columbiae, respectively. Dibrom application resulted in 95% and 93% control of Ps. Columbia and Cx. nigripalpus populations, respectively.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007306 Insecticides Pesticides designed to control insects that are harmful to man. The insects may be directly harmful, as those acting as disease vectors, or indirectly harmful, as destroyers of crops, food products, or textile fabrics. Insecticide
D009032 Mosquito Control The reduction or regulation of the population of mosquitoes through chemical, biological, or other means. Control, Mosquito
D009033 Culicidae A family of the order DIPTERA that comprises the mosquitoes. The larval stages are aquatic, and the adults can be recognized by the characteristic WINGS, ANIMAL venation, the scales along the wing veins, and the long proboscis. Many species are of particular medical importance. Mosquitoes,Mosquitos,Mosquito
D009267 Naled An organophosphate cholinesterase inhibitor that is used as an insecticide and as an acaricide. Dibrom
D011722 Pyrethrins The active insecticidal constituent of CHRYSANTHEMUM CINERARIIFOLIUM flowers. Pyrethrin I is the pyretholone ester of chrysanthemummonocarboxylic acid and pyrethrin II is the pyretholone ester of chrysanthemumdicarboxylic acid monomethyl ester. Pyrethrin,Pyrethroid,Pyrethroids
D002959 Civil Defense Preventive emergency measures and programs designed to protect the individual or community in times of hostile attack or natural disaster. Civil Defenses,Defense, Civil,Defenses, Civil
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013781 Texas State bounded on the north by Oklahoma, on the east by Arkansas and Louisiana, on the south by Mexico, and on the west by New Mexico.
D055867 Cyclonic Storms Non-frontal low-pressure systems over tropical or sub-tropical waters with organized convection and definite pattern of surface wind circulation. Cyclone,Cyclones,Hurricane,Hurricanes,Tropical Storm,Typhoon,Typhoons,Cyclonic Storm,Storm, Cyclonic,Storm, Tropical,Storms, Cyclonic,Storms, Tropical,Tropical Storms

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