Toxic Contact Targets (TCTs) For controlling sand flies and reducing Leishmania in an oasis ecosystem

Authors: MÜLLER, GÜNTER - Malaria Research And Training Center (MRTC); Hogsette Jr, Jerome; JUNNILA, AMY - Malaria Research And Training Center (MRTC); TRAORE, MOHAMED - Malaria Research And Training Center (MRTC); REVAY, EDITA - Malaria Research And Training Center (MRTC); PROZOROV, ALEXEY - Malaria Research And Training Center (MRTC); ISRAËL, DEMBA KODINDO - Ministry Of Public Health; YAKOVLEV, ROMAN - Altai State University; SALDAITIS, AIDAS - Malaria Research And Training Center (MRTC); ARHEART, KRISTOPHER - Center For Global Health Sciences (JCB) And Division Of Biostatistics (kla), Department Of Epidemi; PENNER, REBECCA - Lakehead University; Kline, Daniel; BEIER, JOHN - Center For Global Health Sciences (JCB) And Division Of Biostatistics (kla), Department Of Epidemi; CUI, LIWANG - University Of South Florida; XUE, RUI-DE - Anastasia Mosquito Control District; SCHLEIN, YOSEF - Hebrew University

Submitted to: Journal of the Mosquito Control Association
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/6/2025
Publication Date: 5/21/2025
Citation: Müller, G.C., Hogsette, Jr, J.A., Junnila, A., Traore, M.M., Revay, E.E., Prozorov, A.M., Israël, D., Yakovlev, R.V., Saldaitis, A., Arheart, K.L., Penner, R., Kline, D.L., Beier, J.C., Cui, L., Xue, R., Schlein, Y. 2025. Toxic Contact Targets (TCTs) For controlling sand flies and reducing Leishmania in an oasis ecosystem. Journal of the Mosquito Control Association. 72(1):56-65. https://doi.org/10.32473/jfmca.72.1.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.32473/jfmca.72.1

Interpretive Summary: Leishmaniasis is a serious disease of humans transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies. It is found in 88 countries (22 in the Americas) with 1-2 million cases per year. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of Toxic Cloth Target (TCT) units in controlling blood-seeking sand flies and reducing infection rates of Leishmaniasis in two isolated oases in the lower Jordan Valley, Israel. In the treated oasis TCT units were deployed from May to November 2011, but the untreated control oasis received no TCT units. Within 2 weeks of deploying the TCT units, treated oasis sand fly populations decreased significantly,while control oasis populations increased slightly. Over the rest of 2011, treated oasis populations continued to decline, but control oasis populations rose above pretreatment levels. Initial infection rates, 11.4% at the treated oasis and 6.6% at the control oasis, dropped by 88.3% at the treated oasis after TCT application but increased by 21.7% at the control. During the next 5 months, only 1 of 764 sand flies collected at the treated oasis was infected, but the control infection rate was 7.7%. In 2012, treated oasis populations remained lower than those in the control, except during the final months of monitoring when control populations declined slightly below treated levels.

Technical Abstract: Leishmaniasis is a serious disease of humans transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies. It is found in 88 countries (22 in the Americas) with 1-2 million cases per year. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of Toxic Cloth Target (TCT) units in controlling blood-seeking sand flies and reducing infection rates of Leishmaniasis in two isolated oases in the lower Jordan Valley, Israel. In the treated oasis TCT units were deployed from May to November 2011, but the untreated control oasis received no TCT units. Within 2 weeks of deploying the TCT units, treated oasis sand fly populations decreased significantly,while control oasis populations increased slightly. Over the rest of 2011, treated oasis populations continued to decline, but control oasis populations rose above pretreatment levels. Initial infection rates, 11.4% at the treated oasis and 6.6% at the control oasis, dropped by 88.3% at the treated oasis after TCT application but increased by 21.7% at the control. During the next 5 months, only 1 of 764 sand flies collected at the treated oasis was infected, but the control infection rate was 7.7%. In 2012, treated oasis populations remained lower than those in the control, except during the final months of monitoring when control populations declined slightly below treated levels.