Turning biting insects from disease spreaders to health protectors

The threat of insect transmitted diseases is growing

Arboviruses are medically important viruses transmitted by insects causing >175 known human diseases, and disease in animals of agricultural importance (pigs, cows, horses, chickens, etc).

• Mosquito: Dengue virus, Zika virus, Yellow fever, Chikungunya, Sindbis, Mayaro, Ross River, Viruses and Venezuelan/Eastern/Western equine encephalitis viruses, West Nile virus, Japanese Encephalitis virus

• Tick: Powassan virus, Tick-Borne Encephalitis virus, Kyasanur Forest virus, Alkhurma virus, and Omsk virus

Climate change, population growth, and globalization are increasing the spread of these pathogens beyond normal geographic boundaries

Mosquito-borne diseases alone globally account for an estimated US$12 billion in direct healthcare costs each year, as well as indirect productivity losses totaling billions of dollars annually.

A Problem That Needs Solving

Current insect control methods are ineffective and poison the environment

Insecticide use in disease control

• Kills both detrimental and beneficial insects with devastating environmental and ecological impact to both agriculture and wildlife

• Insect resistance and human toxicity are growing problems

• Insecticide programs are logistically complex, costly, have a short-term effect

• Insecticides do not remove pathogens from reservoir animals, resurgence of disease inevitable

Population replacement/suppression - genetic engineered sterile insects, Wolbachia symbiont

• Requires large, regular release of sterile or modified mosquitoes to be effective

• Depletes mosquitoes as food source for wildlife with detrimental ecological impact

• Does not remove pathogen from reservoir animals, resurgence potential remains