CDC Mosquito Trap for Control and Surveillance of Mosquitoes Including Carriers of Zika & Other Viruses

Mosquitoes are responsible for spreading many viruses that can make people sick, including dengue, Zika, chikungunya, yellow fever, and more. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) new autocidal gravid ovitrap (AGO) mosquito trap is an inexpensive, simple-to-assemble, and easy-to-maintain trap that targets female mosquitoes looking for a place to lay eggs. The current trap model stands 18 inches (45cm) tall and is made of a 5-gallon (18L) bucket. The AGO trap's unique design lures mosquitoes by using water and an all-natural, organic hay attractant. Once inside, female mosquitoes are captured on a nontoxic, sticky glue adhesive placed inside the capture chamber. The AGO trap has been successfully used by mosquito control programs for mosquito surveillance and control. Field trials in which the AGO trap has been installed in most homes in a community have shown it not only reduces mosquito populations but also rates of infection. This means that, in the community where AGO traps were installed, fewer people become sick from mosquito bites. Smaller scale field trials were so successful that CDC and the Puerto Rico Department of Health are implementing large-scale installation of AGO traps throughout several communities to help reduce mosquito populations and the viruses they spread.