Host Diversity and West Nile Virus Transmission in the United States
Everglades Arbovirus Project
This project seeks to determine the diversity and abundance of mosquitoes and arboviruses in the regions in and around Everglades National Park, their relationships with the major plant communities and their potential impact on public health. A predictive model will be developed to explain the diversity, distribution and dynamics of arboviruses based upon landscape features, hydrology and mosquito biology.
The surveillance will provide information about the association of viral types with different mosquito species, data on the distribution and density of these vectors and potential disease risk to humans and/or wildlife within and around the park. It will also provide baseline data for future assessment of the effects of wetland restoration efforts and regional climate change upon arthropod-borne disease risk.