Knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards mosquito control and used vehicle tire dumping by median household income, in metropolitan New Orleans, Louisiana

A qualitative analysis of perceived risks and benefits of mosquito abatement and bite prevention strategies in Northeastern U.S. communities

Mosquito-borne disease (MBD) incidence is increasing in the United States (U.S.), presenting an evolving health threat. Assessments of public perceptions have revealed limited awareness of MBDs among the U.S. population. Our team used focus groups to gain an in-depth understanding of risk perceptions regarding mosquito exposure and pesticide use, and benefit perceptions and motivators for bite prevention strategies. A total of 37 individuals participated in focus groups across 3 states: New Jersey (n = 14), New York (n = 15), and Massachusetts (n = 8). Most participants were unfamiliar with public mosquito control services and felt they were not at high exposure risk to any MBDs. Overall, participants were supportive of investing public funds for mosquito surveillance. However, participants across all focus groups expressed concerns over ecosystem health and long-term consequences of pesticide use for mosquito control. Participants in every focus group referenced a risk assessment that weighed the risk of MBD exposure against the use of chemical control: once participants perceived MBDs as negatively impacting human and/or animal health in their area, sentiment swung largely to supporting the use of pesticides. In the absence of an obvious MBD threat, participants preferred nonchemical control interventions. Participants felt communication from mosquito control agencies should be accessible, disseminated across multiple venues, and should include instructions for the public during spray events, resources for individual bite prevention, and information on control products used. Our research results can inform the development of improved, evidence-based MBD outreach and educational resources that are acceptable, actionable, and relevant to Northeast communities.

MOSQUITO SPECIES DISTRIBUTION IN TIRES IN RURAL AND URBAN LANDSCAPES ACROSS NORTHERN KENTUCKY

Discarded vehicle tires can be found in habitats spanning a human land-use gradient from rural to urban and create an ideal artificial container habitat for mosquito larval development. The purpose of this study was to examine mosquito species composition in discarded vehicle tires in rural and urban habitats. Discarded tires were placed at 6 rural and 6 urban forested sites and sampled weekly for juvenile mosquitoes. Adult traps were also placed at these sites and were sampled weekly. There was no significant difference between the total number of juvenile mosquitoes collected from tires in urban sites compared to rural sites, but significantly more Aedes triseriatus and Ae. albopictus juveniles were found in urban sites compared to rural sites. This study also found that significantly more adult mosquitoes were collected in urban sites compared to rural, but there were no significant differences found between sites when comparing individual species. The results of this study suggest discarded vehicle tires are important mosquito larval habitats across human-land-use gradients and that Ae. triseriatus may be more common in urban areas than previously thought.

Effects of Hurricane Irma on mosquito abundance and species composition in a metropolitan Gulf coastal city, 2016-2018

Mosquitoes are the most common disease vectors worldwide. In coastal cities, the spread, activity, and longevity of vector mosquitoes are influenced by environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and rainfall, which affect their geographic distribution, biting rates, and lifespan. We examined mosquito abundance and species composition before and after Hurricane Irma in Miami, Dade County, Florida, and identified which mosquito species predominated post-Hurricane Irma. Our results showed that mosquito populations increased post-Hurricane Irma: 7.3 and 8.0 times more mosquitoes were captured in 2017 than at baseline, 2016 and 2018 respectively. Warmer temperatures accelerated larval development, resulting in faster emergence of adult mosquitoes. In BG-Sentinel traps, primary species like Ae. tortills, Cx. nigripalpus, and Cx. quinquefasciatus dominated the post-Hurricane Irma period. Secondary vectors that dominated post-Hurricane Irma include An. atropos, An. crucians, An. quadrimaculatus, Cx. erraticus, and Ps. columbiae. After Hurricane Irma, the surge in mosquito populations in Miami, Florida heightened disease risk. To mitigate and prevent future risks, we must enhance surveillance, raise public awareness, and implement targeted vector control measures.

Discarded vehicle tires and their association with mosquito vector abundance across socioenvironmental gradients in New Orleans, LA

Discarded vehicle tires serve as habitat for mosquito vectors. In New Orleans, Louisiana, discarded tires are an increasingly important public concern, especially considering that the city is home to many medically important mosquito species. Discarded tires are known to be associated with mosquito abundance, but how their presence interacts with other socioenvironmental gradients to influence mosquito ecology is poorly understood. Here, we ask whether discarded tire distribution could be explained by social factors, particularly median income, home vacancy and human population density, and whether these factors interact with urban heat islands (UHI) to drive mosquito vector assemblages. We surveyed tire piles across the city and adult mosquitoes in 12 sites, between May and October of 2020. We compared this data with the social indicators selected and UHI estimates. Our results show that median income and human population density were inversely related to tire abundance. Tire abundance was positively associated with Aedes albopictus abundance in places of low heat (LS) severity. Heat was the only predictor for the other monitored species, where high heat corresponded to higher abundance of Aedes aegypti, and LS to higher abundance of Culex quinquefasciatus. Our results suggest that low-income, sparsely populated neighborhoods of New Orleans may be hotspots for discarded vehicle tires, and are associated with higher abundances of at least one medically important mosquito (Ae. albopictus). These findings suggest potential locations for prioritizing source reduction efforts to control mosquito vectors and highlight discarded tires as a potential exposure pathway to unequal disease risk for low-income residents.

A review of knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding mosquitoes and mosquito-borne infectious diseases in nonendemic regions

Mosquito-borne infectious diseases (MBIDs) present significant public health risks within tropical and subtropical regions. However, the rapid spread of MBIDs from these areas to temperate regions increase the risk of their emergence in nonendemic regions, i.e., regions where diseases are still sporadic and not sustained in the population. Raising awareness about preventive measures and protective behaviors is of primary importance to face the risks of vector-borne diseases. In this context, the number of studies on knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) about mosquitoes and MBIDs has grown rapidly in response to the need to identify knowledge and practices in nonendemic countries to fight mosquito proliferation. Building upon the recent developments in this field, we conducted the first-ever literature review to examine KAP studies conducted in nonendemic regions. Our aim was to identify the community's knowledge and attitudes that shape practices concerning the prevention of MBIDs. We used specific keywords regarding the scope of this review and then selected studies that were performed in nonendemic regions for MBIDs, including regions located in European countries, the USA or Asia. We identified 32 KAP studies, the oldest from 2003. The findings in the reviewed studies show that survey participants generally possessed a rather good understanding of mosquito breeding sites. However, there were notable variations in knowledge and perception of MBIDs, primarily linked to the geographic location of the survey and the prevalence of infectious outbreaks related to mosquito transmission. These findings highlight the significant influence of knowledge and awareness in fostering effective mosquito control practices. Moreover, socioeconomic status, particularly educational attainment, and respondents' gender emerged as key determinants in explaining the variability of appropriate practices. The survey results thus show the crucial role of knowledge, emphasizing the need for widespread awareness and information campaigns, encompassing both appropriate practices and efficient mosquito control methods. Understanding the interaction between these factors could provide good guidelines for implementing awareness plans and ultimately motivate the population to actively fight against mosquito proliferation and MBIDs development.

A Survey on Mosquito Control Knowledge and Insecticide Use in New Orleans, La, 2020-2021

Mosquitoes are a known public nuisance and can vector various diseases. Historically, New Orleans, LA, has long been acquainted with the burden of mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria and yellow fever in the 20th century and West Nile virus in the 21st century. Government mosquito control awareness campaigns have been around for decades as has the use of organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticides by mosquito abatement districts. However, few data are available on public perception of mosquito control and public usage of insecticides to kill mosquitoes in New Orleans. We conducted a survey from August 2020 to July 2021 to evaluate New Orleans residents' 1) general knowledge regarding mosquito control and 2) what measures and products they use to control mosquitoes. The aim of this survey was to determine how residents contribute to backyard mosquito control by do-it-yourself or professional applications of insecticides. The survey was disseminated both online and via mail. Of the 396 survey participants, nearly all (99.48%) agreed that mosquito control is important in New Orleans because it prevents mosquito bites (30.85%), prevents mosquito borne-diseases (38.51%), and prevents nuisance mosquitoes (29.17%). More than one-third (35%) of survey participants indicated that they empty containers to reduce adult mosquitoes on their own property. More than two-thirds of the participants (69.95%) would not hire a pest management professional to spray their yard for adult mosquitoes, and only 20% of survey participants do apply a pesticide to kill adult mosquitoes on their own property. None of our findings were associated with the level of education, gender, or age of participants. This study suggests that the City of New Orleans Mosquito, Termite and Rodent Control Board educational and outreach campaigns may be an effective tool in spreading mosquito control awareness and contribute to residents' knowledge of mosquito control. The data we collected indicate that residents understand what mosquito control is and why it is important in New Orleans.