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10-Minute Paper

Medical, Urban, and Veterinary Entomology

MUVE: General

Exploring novel biochemical pathways for the management of arthropod vectors to reduce incidence of zoonotic-disease transmission

Wednesday, November 8, 2023
9:00 AM – 9:12 AM ET
Location: Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, National Harbor 3
In-Person
Emerging zoonotic disease is a significant threat to human and animal health today, as per the American Relief Action Plan, 2021. Arthropod vectors transmit a wide range of zoonotic diseases of significance to human health and food, animal welfare and productivity globally. In situations where people and food animals are in proximity, food animals can sustain high populations of vector species that increase zoonotic disease incidence in people and animals. Reliance on a few conventional insecticides for vector management can lead to human exposure, and negative impact on environmental health. The novel mode of action of nitisinone, (2-(2-nitro-4-trifluoromethylbenzoyl)-1,3-cyclohexanedione, (Cycle Ltd., Cambs. UK) distrupts the enzymes responsible for the phenylalanine-tyrosine degradation pathway, demonstrated by mortality in exposed blood feeding arthropods. Blood taken from Nitisinone-treated calves (the first application of the drug in a ruminant species) was fed to pests such as stable flies, mosquitoes, biting midges and ticks in the laboratory. This study aims to demonstrate that Nitisinone, or stucturally similar compounds, could be an used as possible alternative antiparasitic drugs, disrupting a critical metabolic pathway for hematophagous arthropods to digest bloodmeals. With current tools available being limited, this is could be novel alternative method to combat the threat of known and emerging pests of importance to Public Health and Agriculture, especially for livestock producers battling with the economic and welfare issues caused by pests such as ticks, stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans), horn flies (Haematobia irritans irritans) and other hematophagous arthropods.