Michael J. Turell, PhD.

Senior Adjunct Arbovirologist
Anastasia Mosquito Control District
Frederick, Maryland, United States

Michael Turell recently retired as a principal investigator at USAMRIID (United States Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases) where he had served for more than 30 years. He received his B.S. and M.S. in Entomology from Cornell University, NY; his MPH from Tulane University, LA; and his Ph.D. in Epidemiology from the University of California at Berkeley, CA. His principal interest has been the study of factors affecting the ability of mosquitoes to transmit various arboviruses. He has evaluated the potential of selected arthropods to transmit pathogens such as Rift Valley fever, eastern equine encephalitis, Venezuelan equine encephalitis, Japanese encephalitis, and West Nile viruses. These involve both field studies (Peru, Ecuador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Senegal, Kenya, Republic of Korea, Uzbekistan, etc.) and laboratory studies. In addition, he has conducted research on the development of vaccines for several mosquito-borne viruses and the development and evaluation of antigen and RNA detection assays.
He has more than 200 referred publications in Science, American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Journal of Medical Entomology, Virology, Infection and Immunity, Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association, etc. and has given more than 130 presentations at national and international meetings, including invited presentations at more than 20 international meetings.
In addition, he is the adult advisor to The Bug Patrol, a 4-H club devoted to learning about insects; a Boy Scout leader, where he serves as an Assistant Scoutmaster and an Insect Study Merit Badge counselor; a beekeeper and member of the Frederick County Beekeeping Association, where he gives presentations at their annual training course; and gives numerous presentations to school groups and nature centers about insects.

Disclosure information not submitted.

Presentation(s):

• Factors Allowing for the Transmission of Vector-Borne Viruses: Vector Competence, Vertebrate Host Competence, and Environmental Factors Symposium

  Tuesday, February 28, 2023
  4:00pm – 5:30pm

• 50 - How the presence of other organisms in a viremic vertebrate host may affect the ability of a mosquito feeding on that host to be able to transmit that virus.

  Tuesday, February 28, 2023
  4:48pm – 5:02pm