P1.67
Improving the assessment capabilities of Encephalitis in Alabama by integrated use of NASA TRMM mission
Jamie E. Favors, NASA, Mobile, AL; and B. Stringer and F. W. Baker
Mosquito-borne encephalitis is a growing concern for coastal and upland communities in the subtropical zones of the southeastern United States. A covariance time-line was constructed with rainfall measurements as inputs for three specific sites in Mobile County, Alabama (Hollinger's Island, Grand Bay, and Semmes), to discover the time series delay correlation between the actual rainfall and the time of the mosquito population increase. The primary goal of this study was to provide a usable resource for predicting population booms in certain areas. A secondary goal was to reduce the total treatment efforts needed from the Mobile County Health Department (MCHD), and indirectly reduce the total prevalence of encephalitis in Mobile County. Entomological data was provided by the Vector Control Division of the MCHD and the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH). Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) supplied data on rainfall amounts, which was complemented by in situ measurements collected from privately operated weather stations near the trap sites. The results demonstrate how NASA Applied Sciences capabilities and Earth Observation Systems (EOS) can be utilized to enhance monitoring and control methods of vector breeding grounds, as well as predict population booms in isolated areas of Mobile County. Public Health officials will benefit from an increased understanding of vector population cycles, how rainfall affects these cycles, and the time-line that mosquito density patterns follow in regards to these rainfalls.
Poster Session 1, Student Conference General Poster Session
Sunday, 20 January 2008, 5:30 PM-7:00 PM, Exhibit Hall B
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