The Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) has added its first-ever set of guidelines on mosquito control. The new guidelines focus on the treatment, control, and prevention of a host of serious problems related to mosquitoes. One recommendation is an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy, which consists of using EPA-registered repellents/insecticides on the pet and humans.

Repelling and killing the vector, the mosquito, should be a part of this strategy to protect canines. “There are several products available for use on dogs to repel and kill mosquitoes for an entire month,” the guidelines state. “Several of these products are labeled to control other ectoparasites as well. Recent research indicates that treatment of dogs with a combination of dinotefuran, permethrin and pyriproxyfen (Vectra® 3D for Dogs labeled to kill and repel fleas, ticks, mosquitoes), inhibits uptake of heartworm microfilariae from infected dogs and prevents transmission of heartworm infective larvae from infected mosquitoes to non-infected dogs.”

The guidelines refer to research conducted by John McCall, MS, PhD, a professor emeritus in the Department of Infectious Diseases at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. His research showed the value of topical repellent insecticidal products in a “double defense” protocol for protecting dogs against the mosquito and use of a preventive against heartworm disease. His research found that Vectra® 3D for Dogs, by repelling and killing mosquitoes that may transmit the disease, adds an extra layer of protection along with the heartworm preventive.

The new Mosquito Control Guidelines come on the heels of the Council’s update to its Control and Prevention section of its Canine Heartworm Guidelines last October. CAPC included the statement that “limiting contact with mosquitoes further reduces risk of heartworm infection.” In addition, CAPC cites although the “slow-kill” method should be avoided, if it is the only medically acceptable option, microfilariae should be eliminated prior to the exposure to preventive doses of macrocyclic lactones and dogs should be maintained on a mosquito repellent.

Craig Prior, BVSC, CVJ, president of CAPC, says the veterinary community wanted even more guidance on mosquito control: “We knew we wanted to go after the vector. We are the experts on this so we wanted to keep up with the latest in scientific medicine.”