Student Short Biography:
Mr. Wyckliff Peter Omondi is Medical Parasitologist working at the Division of Vector Borne and Neglected Tropical Diseases, Ministry of Health, Kenya. Currently he is the Preventive Chemotherapy and Transmission Control (PCT) Manager providing technical support for interventions directed towards control and elimination of four preventive chemotherapy neglected tropical diseases; lymphatic filariasis (LF), schistosomiasis, soil transmitted helminthes and trachoma. The support entails capacity building and supervision for mass drug administration, epidemiological survey to monitor treatment impact (human and vector) and morbidity management and disability prevention. Additionally, Mr. Omondi still serve as the national focal point for LF. In this position, he has successfully coordinated LF endemic areas in the coastal region of the country. In the last 3 years he ensured mass treatment targets set by World Health Organization (WHO) are surpassed. His leadership enabled the country to be the first in the world to successful implement two consecutive rounds of LF triple therapy. Mr. Omondi serves a number of NTD Technical Advisory Groups. He is the secretary of LF TAG and reports directly to the NTD committee of experts on Kenya LF elimination road map.
Mr. Omondi has over 8 years of research and program experience working on a wide range of vector borne-diseases and other NTDs (dengue and chikungunya, onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminths, trachoma, leishmaniasis and malaria). He has attended short course trainings locally and internationally organized by NTD partners and WHO geared towards program improvement.
Project Summary
Thesis / Project Title: Evaluation of Known Visual and Chemical Cues for Surveillance of the Dengue and Chikungunya Vector, Aedes aegypti, in Busia and Kilifi counties, Kenya.
Thesis / Project Abstract:
Aedes aegypti is the major vector of the arboviral pathogens, zika virus, yellow fever, dengue and chikungunya viruses. Several outbreaks due to these infections in humans are well documented in various parts of the world, Kenya included. Vector-based surveillance is critical for effective prevention and control of these arbovirus infections in human. Improved trapping of vector populations forms an essential component of surveillance and become part of disease risk assessment which results into a decreased morbidity and mortality that may be attributed to these diseases. This study sought to improve trapping of adult Ae. aegypti populations by exploiting visual (light) and odor cues, which insects including mosquitoes rely on for host location. Trap performance in terms of counts for each treatment were compared in R using GLM, relative to controls at 95% confidence level of significance.
First, attractiveness of Ae. aegypti populations to known light colors were evaluated in field set up. Second, the effect of combining odor cues Linalool oxide (LO) and hexanoic acid (HA) on catches of Ae. aegypti was similarly evaluated in field trials.
The findings confirm the visual attractive effect of BG trap alone to Ae. aegypti with differential but marginal effect of UV or incandescent light on trap catches. Also, the data indicate that combining plant- and human-derived odors may elicit a masking effect in trapping this vector. Thus, the usefulness of combining plant and animal odorants in Ae. aegypti trapping needs further investigation. The results underscore the importance of detailed knowledge of interactive effect of combining plant and animal odorants for proper lure formulation and development.
Links
Other relevant academic links:
Linkedin; User Name: Wyckliff Omondi
ResearchGate; User Name: Wyckliff Omondi