Evaluation of the Host-Targeted Bait Box, Select Tick Control System (TCR) to Reduce the Entomological Risk of Lyme Disease in a Lyme Endemic Area of North Central New Jersey

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NCEZID Division of Vector Disease, 3156 Rampart Road M/S P-02, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80521-3003, hereby announces its intent to issue a sole source firm fixed price purchase order in accordance with FAR 6.302-1 to TERRY L. SCHULZE, PHD, INC., 9 Evergreen Court, Perrineville, New Jersey, 08535-1112 for the evaluation of the host-targeted bait box, and SELECT Tick Control System (TCS) to reduce the Entomological Risk of Lyme Disease in a Lyme Endemic Area of North Central New Jersey. The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of modified Select TCS bait boxes containing the acaricide fipronil and the Connecticut Tick Control protective shroud device. The study will be conducted according to current product labeling and will determine the ability of these boxes as a stand-alone method of intervention to: 1) reduce tick infestation rates on small mammal reservoirs (Peromyscus leucopus, Tamias striatus, Microtus pennsylvanicus, and Blarina brevicauda), 2) reduce questing Ixodes scapularis tick populations, and 3) ability of host-targeted bait boxes to reduce infection rates in small mammal reservoirs as well as questing tick populations for both Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) and Anaplasma phagocytophilum (Ap). The vendor shall furnish all labor, materials and equipment necessary to evaluate the efficacy of Select TCS bait boxes. This will include but is not limited to all necessary equipment to perform rodent reservoir and questing tick evaluations. The vendor will need to have access to suitable tick/rodent/Lyme disease habitat with a minimum of 0.1 tick/m2 and adequate species of Peromyscus leucopus, Tamias striatus, Microtus pennsylvanicus , and Blarina brevicauda. The vendor shall furnish all labor, materials, processing equipment, live mammalian traps (Sherman and Tomahawk), bait boxes, and equipment necessary to evaluate the efficacy of doxycycline impregnated rodent bait to reduce infected rodent reservoirs and infected questing ticks in residential areas. The vendor will identify suitable test sites for the study, conduct monthly pre- and post-treatment flagging and trapping of animals during the nymphal and larval activity periods of I. scapularis to determine the ability of these host-targeted technologies to reduce infected reservoirs, reduce the risk of tick-borne diseases, and evaluate host-targeted deployment strategies, and assist with obtaining all isolates for evaluation by PCR and culture. Vendor will provide monthly reports and perform statistical analysis. All data will be sent to CDC/NCEZID/DVBD, Fort Collins, CO. The vendor shall locate, measure, and stake a total of 10 1-3 ha residential properties (> 60% wooded) in Millstone Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey and at least 2 untreated control areas on Naval Weapons Station Earle, Colts Neck, NJ. The intervention and untreated areas must contain > 0.1 tick/m2. Preliminary trapping surveys must be conducted on each property and show abundant populations of ticks and small mammal hosts. The study will evaluate Select TCS which is a 19.05 cm x 13.97 cm x 6.35 cm child-resistant plastic box containing a non-toxic monitoring bait and a fipronil-treated felt wick assembly (0.7% AI, 3 ml total volume). After entering the box, the small mammals travel down the central corridor and are passively treated as they contact the wick while attempting to access the bait chambers. A single treatment is effective in killing ticks on small mammals for > 52 d. All Select TCS bait boxes need to have the following modification done. A 2-piece, tightly fitting protective cover constructed of 0.032 gauge galvanized steel will need to be installed over each box. The top and bottom sections of the clam-shell cover and bait box will be secured together at 2 opposite corners by means of 20.3 cm cable ties. The protected shroud is a proprietary device of Connecticut Tick Control Services, LLC (Norwalk, CT 06854). Bait boxes will be deployed on treatment areas according to product label and in accordance with suitable small mammal habitat and pre-treatment trapping. Approximate description of deployment: bait boxes should be deployed along 2 concentric rings, with the first located within the forest at - 10 m from the lawn edge with a - 25-m interval between individual boxes. Wherever possible, boxes should be placed in proximity to likely small mammal foraging or nesting sites. Because the combined weight of the bait box and protective covering exceeded 1200 g and are judged too heavy to be easily displaced by nuisance wildlife, the boxes should not need tethered. Pretreatment tick collections, flagging, and animal trapping will need to be completed in all areas by May 25, 2012. These sites will be sampled 2 times at weekly intervals to determine tick density, rodent density, rodent infestation rate, rodent infection rates, and tick infection rates prior to setting out bait boxes. Small mammals will be trapped using Sherman and Tomahawk live traps. All captures will be processed for materials and analyzed as follows: anesthetized, ear biopsied, bled by cheek punch, physical measurements recorded, ectoparisites removed and placed in ETOH, ear-tagged, and released at the capture site. Ear biopsies will be surface sterilized and cultured in BSK-H media for detection of live spirochetes by dark-field microscopy. Tick pools collected from rodents will be screened for infection by PCR. Both sites will be flagged for questing nymphal ticks. Ticks will be individually screened by PCR for infection with Bb. (Secondary future analysis will include PCR for Ap). Both areas will be flagged for questing ticks. Collected ticks will be recorded and analyzed by PCR. Bait boxes will need to be visited weekly during the first 4 weeks of the nymphal and larval season deployments and weighed in the field using a portable balance. Any change in box orientation or damage to boxes, including the acaricide wicks, should be noted for later replacement or repair. All efficacy data will be recorded for each time point and data will be analyzed, statistical analysis performed, and written report provided to CDC. All laboratory and field work should be performed under "Good Laboratory Practices" (GLP) guidelines as set forth by FDA and EPA. Animal work will need to be performed under an approved IACUC protocol on file at CDC, DVBD, BDB. The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is 41 U.S.C. 253(c)(1) as cited in FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), "Only one source [is] reasonably available". TERRY L. SCHULZE, PHD, INC., is the only source that is able to furnish all labor, materials and equipment necessary to determine the efficacy of these host-targeted methods in a field setting and in close enough proximity to conduct the study at weekly intervals and evaluate data using statistical analysis including the Henderson method for comparing efficacy of treated vs. control plots. TERRY L. SCHULZE, PHD, INC. is located approximately 1-6 miles from each study site, a licensed pest control operator within the study areas, and is the only Lyme disease field expert that has the experience and ability to fulfill all of the contract requirements. Responsible sources that believe they possess the expertise and capabilities identified above are encouraged to submit to the Contracting Officer within 15days from the posting date of this notice, their written capabilities statement, proposal or quotation which shall be considered by the agency. Please forward the capability statement and/or pricing information to Tamera Murphy, Purchasing Agent at the following email address tmurphy@cdc.gov. All vendors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) prior to an award of a federal contract. The website is as follows www.sam.gov. The Government will review any/all capabilities statements and pricing information submitted and determine if other qualified sources do exist that could provide this requirement. Information received in response to this announcement will be used solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement for these services in the future.