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Title: A NOVEL HIGH-THROUGHPUT SCREENING SYSTEM TO EVALUATE THE BEHAVIORAL RESPONSE OF ADULT MOSQUITOES TO CHEMICALS

Author
item GREICO, JOHN - USHUS
item ACHEE, NICOLE - USHUS
item SARDELIS, MICHAEL - USHUS
item Chauhan, Kamlesh
item ROBERTS, DONALD - USHUS

Submitted to: American Mosquito Control Association
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/12/2005
Publication Date: 12/1/2005
Citation: Greico, J., Achee, N.L., Sardelis, M.R., Chauhan, K.R., Roberts, D. 2005. A novel high-throughput screening system to evaluate the behavioral response of adult mosquitoes to chemicals. 21 (4): 404-11. . American Mosquito Control Association.

Interpretive Summary: Evaluation of potential repellent compounds against mosquito vectors of diseases is time consuming and often involves animal or human subjects. We have developed a laboratory modular assay system that can screen candidate compounds without involving human subjects or animals. This assay system is compact in size and only requires small amounts of the test compound. This information can be used by scientists in the private and public sectors that are interested in developing and testing potential repellent compounds.

Technical Abstract: A modular and novel assay system for rapid mass screening of chemical compounds for contact irritant and spatial repellent actions against adult mosquitoes is described. The responses of Aedes aegypti to various concentrations of three topical repellents, DEET, Bayrepel, and SS220, were evaluated. At treatment concentrations ' 25 nmoles/cm2 of SS220, mosquitoes exhibited significant contact irritant (escape) and spatial repellent (movement away from the chemical source) responses. In contrast, a treatment concentration of 250 nmole/cm2 of DEET and Bayrepel resulted in responses that were not statistically significant or just moderately significant. The novel bioassay system detected contact irritancy and spatial repellency activity with reproducible results, and provided baseline data for determining minimum effective concentrations for other chemicals. The system is compact in size, easy to decontaminate, and requires only a minute quantity of chemical compound.