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Vector borne Disease

Vector borne Disease

Vector borne Disease

107 - Reflections on the MIR: Evaluating WNV risk measures to guide control 

Wednesday, March 25, 2026
9:00 AM - 9:10 AM PDT
Location: B119
Abstract: This past year saw record levels of West Nile Virus (WNV) activity across the seven-county Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area. To guide mosquito control efforts, the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District (MMCD) has traditionally relied on a district-wide Minimum Infection Rate (MIR) to identify periods of elevated disease risk. However, the MIR has limitations—particularly its tendency to produce inflated values as mosquito populations decline late in the season. Additional challenges include the ecological diversity of MMCD’s ~3,000-square-mile service area and the logistical difficulties of sampling and treating the expansive urban wildlife refuge formed by the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers, which bisect the district. To overcome these limitations, MMCD is transitioning to a Vector Index which 1. combines mosquito abundance and infection data from a variety of sources to better indicate risk, and 2. can be calculated at a more localized scale, allowing for more targeted surveillance and control efforts in high-risk areas. By refining our data and focusing interventions where they are most needed, we aim to improve the effectiveness of mosquito control and reduce the public health impact of WNV.