Using citizen science to enhance surveillance of Aedes aegypti in Arizona, 2015-17

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Abstract

Vector surveillance is an essential component of vector-borne disease prevention, but many communities lack resources to support extensive surveillance. The Great Arizona Mosquito Hunt (GAMH) was a collaborative citizen science project conducted during 2015-17 to enhance surveillance for Aedes aegypti in Arizona. Citizen science projects engage the public in scientific research in order to further scientific knowledge while improving community understanding of a specific field of science and the scientific process. Participating schools and youth organizations across the state conducted oviposition trapping for 1-4 wk during peak Ae. aegypti season in Arizona and returned the egg sheets to collaborating entomologists for identification. During the 3-year program, 120 different schools and youth organizations participated. Few participants actually collected Aedes eggs in their traps in 2015 or 2017, but about one-third of participants collected eggs during 2016, including 3 areas that were not previously reported to have Ae. aegypti. While relatively few new areas of Ae. aegypti activity were identified, GAMH was found to be a successful method of engaging citizen scientists. Future citizen science mosquito surveillance projects might be useful to further define the ecology and risk for vector-borne diseases in Arizona.

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APA

Tarter, K. D., Levy, C. E., Yaglom, H. D., Adams, L. E., Plante, L., Casal, M. G., … Walker, K. R. (2019). Using citizen science to enhance surveillance of Aedes aegypti in Arizona, 2015-17. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association, 35(1), 11–18. https://doi.org/10.2987/18-6789.1

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