MOLECULAR TARGETS FOR MOSQUITO CONTROL

West Nile virus has emerged in recent years in temperate regions of Europe and North America , presenting a threat to public and animal health. The most serious manifestation of West Nile virus infection is fatal encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) in humans and horses, as well as mortality in certain domestic and wild birds. West Nile virus also has been a significant cause of human illness in the United States in 2002 and 2003. In 2003, more than 10,000 cases of mosquito-transmitted West Nile fever were reported in the US ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ). The CDC map below shows the distribution of avian, animal, or mosquito infection that has occurred during 2004 with number of human cases, if any, by state. 

                    2004 West Nile Virus Activity in the United States

Biological Targets, Inc. (BTI) has utilized its proprietary SPADE™ and DELVE™ technology, to identify and characterize more than 150 insecticide targets in mosquito which can be utilized for the development of insecticides for Culex pipiens , the mosquito that transmits West Nile fever, lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis) and St. Louis encephalitis; for Anopheles gambiae , the principal vector for malaria; and for Aedes aegypti , the primary carrier of viruses that cause Dengue fever and Yellow fever. Also, potential gene targets for a Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) mosquiticidal toxin in all three mosquitoes have been identified.

Products

Molecular Targets for Insecticide Development

Mosquito Targets

Beneficial Biofilm Products for Soil Improvement and Reclamation

RECLAFIL™