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NAMRU SOUTH and Regional Partners Share Mosquito Control Expertise

09 November 2023

From Sidney Hinds

CHORILLOS, Peru – Researchers with U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU) SOUTH joined their peers from several partner organizations to share expertise on controlling the spread of mosquito-borne illness during an exchange from Sept. 11 – 14.

The exchange convened by request of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide assistance in curbing Peru’s outbreak of dengue fever.

NAMRU SOUTH hosted two experts from the Navy Entomology Center of Excellence (NECE), who provided other attendees with demonstrations of equipment for repelling Aedes aegypti mosquitos, which are responsible for the spread of dengue in a human population. Demonstrations included methods for testing insecticide resistance in local Aedes aegypti mosquitos, and proper calibration of fumigation equipment.



“The goal of fumigation equipment is to produce droplets that will carry a lethal dose of insecticide to the mosquito,” explained Lt. Cmdr. Ryan Larson, department head for NAMRU SOUTH’s entomology department. “If the droplets are too small, they will not deliver a lethal dose. If the droplets are too big, they will fall to the ground before they contact a mosquito. Proper calibration is important.”

Expertise exchanges such as this one help with ongoing epidemics, and can also help the U.S. and its regional allies stay up to date on best practices for response and prevention.

“These exchanges improve our interoperability by providing a better understanding of our capabilities and limitations,” Larson said. “In turn, this allows us to work together with our partners to respond to future outbreaks.”

In addition to NAMRU SOUTH, CDC and NECE, the exchange brought together experts from Peru’s Ministry of Health and the General Directorate of Environmental Health.

NAMRU SOUTH, part of the Naval Medical Research & Development enterprise, conducts research on a wide range of infectious diseases of military and public health significance, and supports Global Health Engagement through surveillance of those diseases, including dengue fever, malaria, diarrheal diseases and sexually transmitted infections.

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