Abstract
BackgroundThe global spread of mosquito-borne diseases (MBD) has presented increasing challenges to public health. The transmission of MBD is mainly attributable to the biting behaviors of female mosquitoes. However, the ecological pattern of hourly host-seeking behavior in Aedes albopictus and its association with climatic variables are still not well understood, especially for a precise requirement for establishing an effective risk prediction system of MBD transmission.MethodsMosquito samples and data on mosquito hourly density and site-specific climatic variables, including temperature, relative humidity, illuminance and wind speed, were collected simultaneously in urban outdoor environments in Guangzhou during 2016–2018. Kernel regression models were used to assess the temporal patterns of hourly host-seeking behavior in mosquito populations, and negative binomial regression models in the Bayesian framework were used to investigate the associations of host-seeking behavior with climatic variables.ResultsAedes albopictus was abundant, constituting 82% (5569/6790) of the total collected mosquitoes. Host-seeking behavior in Ae. albopictus varied across time and was significantly influenced by climatic variables. The predicted hourly mosquito densities showed non-linear relationships with temperature and illuminance, whereas density increased with relative humidity but generally decreased with wind speed. The range of temperature estimates for female biting was 16.4–37.1 °C, peaking at 26.5 °C (95% credible interval: 25.3–28.1). During the favorable periods, biting behavior of female Ae. albopictus was estimated to occur frequently all day long, presenting a bimodal distribution with peaks within 2–3 h around both dawn and dusk (05:00–08:00 h and 16:00–19:00 h). Moreover, a short-term association in hourly density between the females and males was found.ConclusionsOur field-based modeling study reveals that hourly host-seeking behavior of Ae. albopictus exhibits a complex pattern, with hourly variation constrained significantly by climatic variables. These findings lay a foundation for improving MBD risk assessments as well as practical strategies for vector control. For instances of all-day-long frequent female biting during the favorable periods in Guangzhou, effective integrated mosquito control measures must be taken throughout the day and night.
Highlights
The global spread of mosquito-borne diseases (MBD) has presented increasing challenges to public health
For instances of all-day-long fre‐ quent female biting during the favorable periods in Guangzhou, effective integrated mosquito control measures must be taken throughout the day and night
The predicted hourly densities of female and male Ae. albopictus were still observed to be higher during the daytime than during the nighttime [33] (Fig. 2, Additional file 4: Table S2, Additional file 5: Table S3, Additional file 6: Table S4), our field-based modeling indicated that hourly host-seeking behavior of Ae. albopictus exhibited a complex pattern as the following demonstration shows in detail
Summary
The global spread of mosquito-borne diseases (MBD) has presented increasing challenges to public health. The native Asian populations of Ae. albopictus have been inferred to split into three main clusters in equatorial Malaysia and tropical Thailand, subtropical south China and temperate Japan [8]. This mosquito species in Guangzhou belongs to the cluster in subtropical south China [8] It is a vital vector responsible for dengue outbreaks in Guangzhou [6, 8, 9] and a potential vector for Zika virus transmission [10]. Both MBD transmission and mosquito populations vary across seasons in local environments and ecological contexts. The indigenous dengue cases in the region increase and peak from August to November, which lag the active duration of population densities of Ae. albopictus [5, 6]
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