Improving mosquito and tick disease monitoring for American Indian communities
Official title: UA Project: Advancing Vector-borne Disease Surveillance in American Indian Communities
Funded at Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, INC. · NIH-11173836 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will set up better mosquito and tick monitoring and community outreach to protect American Indian communities from diseases like West Nile, dengue, Zika, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Phoenix, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $96,496 |
| NIH project number | 5S06GM146125-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11173836 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are members of American Indian communities in Arizona, especially those living in southern border areas or in places with high mosquito or brown dog tick exposure.
✕Less likely to help
People who live outside the targeted American Indian communities or who are not exposed to local mosquito or tick habitats are unlikely to benefit directly.
What this research studies
Partners from tribal health offices, the University of Arizona, and University of California will work with Tribal communities to strengthen local surveillance for mosquitoes and ticks. The project will deploy traps and collect ticks, train local staff, and share data with community health services. It will focus on Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and brown dog ticks to track dengue, Zika, West Nile, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever risks and combine surveillance with prevention education. Community engagement will guide where and how monitoring is done so results can support timely local responses.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could help reduce infections by finding mosquito and tick threats earlier and guiding local prevention and treatment.
How similar studies have gone: Community-based mosquito and tick surveillance programs have previously helped detect outbreaks earlier and guide prevention, though tailoring these efforts to Arizona Tribal communities is less well established.
Where this research is happening
-
Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, INC.
Phoenix, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gouge, Dawn Heather — Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, INC.
- Study coordinator: Gouge, Dawn Heather
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.