Page 22 - Volume 3, Issue 2, July 2010

© Benaki Phytopathological Institute
Mihou & Michaelakis 52
The use of pheromone in mosquito con-
trol would be of great value since Culex mos-
quitoes are known to be vectors of human
tropical diseases such as the West Nile virus
disease. During the last decade, the spread
of West Nile virus in theWestern Hemisphere
resulted in the death of hundreds and the
infection of thousands of people (Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, http://
www.cdc.gov) . Furthermore, pheromone
could be used in gravid traps for West Nile
virus surveillance. Moreover, accurate and
reliable information regarding the breeding
habits and distribution of Culex mosquitoes
is an essential requisite for improved man-
agement strategies for these important dis-
ease vectors.
Figure 34