Computer Aided Optimization of a Vector Surveilence Tent Trap and Field Demonstration

Arthropod-borne diseases common to present operational environments of the Middle East (Iraq) and Asia (Afghanistan) represent a major portion of the environmental threat to deployed military personnel, and Army entomologists utilize an aggressive vector surveillance program to monitor for the presence of disease carrying insects in deployed regions. Because of this, the Army has issued a request for an easily deployable, safe, and high performing human-baited tent trap that will allow field scientists to measure the health threats present to troops with a high degree of confidence. Infoscitex (IST) proposes to utilize state of the art computer aided engineering to determine the optimal tent trap designs for monitoring various insect species in different geographical locations. The Phase I program will culminate in an outdoor demonstration of a first generation working trap (non-human baited) in Colorado. Potential Phase II work may involve field evaluations of various designs in Mexico, Thailand, or Senegal.