Disciplines
Biology | Community Health and Preventive Medicine | Entomology | Epidemiology | Immunology of Infectious Disease
Abstract (300 words maximum)
The greater Atlanta metropolitan area hosts numerous mosquito species that are nuisance biters and can transmit arthropod-borne diseases to humans. We surveyed the Kennesaw State University (KSU) Field Station – an incredibly biodiverse location – where student, staff, and faculty-led groups engage in outdoor research and teaching activities. The KSU Field Station located in Cobb County, GA is a heavily trafficked 25-acre property that may attract various mosquito species capable of transmitting pathogens to humans and animals alike. On August 27th, 2024, our team investigated the KSU Field Station to quantify and record potential water-holding containers that serve as mosquito breeding sites, and the presence or absence of mosquito larvae and pupae. The survey was conducted to identify and possibly reduce future sources of mosquito reproduction and microhabitats. Following World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, we calculated a Container Index (CI) of 12.24%, compared to 29% from a similar survey at the KSU Field Station on August 25th, 2023. The decrease in the CI from 2023 to 2024 is likely due to increased vigilance among KSU field station personnel to reduce the number of water-holding containers, thereby minimizing mosquito breeding habitats, following public health education efforts made in 2023
Academic department under which the project should be listed
CSM - Molecular and Cellular Biology
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Andrew Haddow
Included in
Biology Commons, Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons, Entomology Commons, Epidemiology Commons, Immunology of Infectious Disease Commons
Survey of Mosquito Larval Habitats at the KSU Field Station
The greater Atlanta metropolitan area hosts numerous mosquito species that are nuisance biters and can transmit arthropod-borne diseases to humans. We surveyed the Kennesaw State University (KSU) Field Station – an incredibly biodiverse location – where student, staff, and faculty-led groups engage in outdoor research and teaching activities. The KSU Field Station located in Cobb County, GA is a heavily trafficked 25-acre property that may attract various mosquito species capable of transmitting pathogens to humans and animals alike. On August 27th, 2024, our team investigated the KSU Field Station to quantify and record potential water-holding containers that serve as mosquito breeding sites, and the presence or absence of mosquito larvae and pupae. The survey was conducted to identify and possibly reduce future sources of mosquito reproduction and microhabitats. Following World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, we calculated a Container Index (CI) of 12.24%, compared to 29% from a similar survey at the KSU Field Station on August 25th, 2023. The decrease in the CI from 2023 to 2024 is likely due to increased vigilance among KSU field station personnel to reduce the number of water-holding containers, thereby minimizing mosquito breeding habitats, following public health education efforts made in 2023