# UA Project: Advancing Vector-borne Disease Surveillance in American Indian Communities

> **NIH NIH S06** · INTER TRIBAL COUNCIL OF ARIZONA, INC. · 2023 · $101,652

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
The Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Cocopah Environmental Protection Office staff, medical entomologists from
the University of California, vector-borne disease researchers from the University of Arizona and other
community partners will build upon existing participatory research and outreach partnerships in the proposed
project.
Arizona often ranks amongst the highest in West Nile virus infection and related deaths relative to other states.
Additionally, high populations of the invasive yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti in communities along
southern border areas makes mosquito and pathogen surveillance critically important. Ae. aegypti is the
primary vector of dengue and Zika viruses which circulate in the neighboring border states of Sonora and Baja
California, Mexico. Ticks are important vectors causing human disease. Among the most significant is Rocky
Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), a bacterial infection caused by Rickettsia rickettsii, which kills more people in
North America than any other tickborne disease. Native American populations are disproportionately impacted.
Since the first locally acquired case was identified in Arizona in 2003, the disease has become endemic in
many Native American communities. In Arizona, R. rickettsii is vectored by the brown dog tick Rhipicephalus
sanguineus and to date there have been more than 436 cases of RMSF with a case fatality rate of 10%, which
is 15 times the national rate for this disease. There have been no surveillance efforts for vector or pathogen
prevalence outside of post-epidemic events.
Supportive efforts are needed to identify high-risk surveillance gaps, undertake vector and pathogen
prevalence assessments, and generate access to essential infrastructure and services in the short-term.
Vector-borne Disease Research Committees (VbDRC) within collaborating tribal communities will direct high
priority vector surveillance and inform Tribal leadership of technical findings. Creation of Vector Risk Mitigation
Plans and relevant community specific practicum training will be provided for tribal environmental health, public
health and medical practitioners serving communities. Additionally, investment in Native American students
through financially supported vector research experiences will help build the future public and environmental
health workforce. There is strong evidence that student research experiences improve educational persistence,
thus UA faculty and VbDRC members will mentor Native American students through community-based
research projects.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10694851
- **Project number:** 5S06GM146125-02
- **Recipient organization:** INTER TRIBAL COUNCIL OF ARIZONA, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Dawn Heather Gouge
- **Activity code:** S06 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $101,652
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-09-01 → 2026-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10694851

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10694851, UA Project: Advancing Vector-borne Disease Surveillance in American Indian Communities (5S06GM146125-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10694851. Licensed CC0.

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