A Framework for Modeling Genetically-Aware Mosquito Vectors for Sterile Insect Technique

Abstract

Vector-borne diseases account for 16% of the global infectious disease burden WHO, 2004. Many of these debilitating and sometimes fatal diseases are transmitted between human hosts by mosquitoes. Mosquito-targeted intervention methods have controlled or eliminated mosquito-borne diseases from many regions of the world but regions of constant transmission holoendemic areas still exist Molineaux et al., 1980. To eliminate these illnesses, researchers need to understand how interventions impact a mosquito population so as to identify potential avenues for new intervention techniques. This paper presents a software architecture that allows researchers to simulate transgenic interventions on a mosquito population. The authors present specifications for a model that captures these transgenic aspects and present a software architecture that meets those needs. The authors also provide a proof of concept and some observations about sterile insect technique strategies as simulated by this architecture.