Project Number: 6615-32000-046-02
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Sep 12, 2006
End Date: Apr 30, 2011

Objective:
Use remotely sensed satellite data to develop an early warning system to detect elevated populations of potential vectors of Rift Valley fever (RVF) and other mosquito-borne emerging virus threat in the United States. The primary objective is early detection of environmental conditions which could precipitate a mosquito transmitted arbovirus, providing decision support for Agricultural and Public Health officials to implement improved agricultural and medical planning for potential containment and control operations.

Approach:
Local and global climate indicators will be used to identify early warning parameters associated with elevated populations of potential mosquito vectors of RVF and other emerging arboviruses. Major tasks will include development of local/global Geographic Information Systems (GIS) database and data delivery system for a range of NASA Earth-Sun System research results (data and models). Primary Earth-Sun System research results include Vegetation Index and SST measurements from MODIS, rainfall from TRMM, and model outputs from the GMAO Seasonal Forecast Group (NSIPP; http://nsipp.gsfc.nasa.gov/) including precipitation and temperature forecasts based on assimilated SSTs (Table 1). Entomologic and epidemiologic prediction models that incorporate these results and processes integrating model outputs into USDA and Public Health decision support schemes will be developed.