Abstract
Vector-borne diseases are a heavy burden to human-kind. Global warming and urbanization have a significant impact on vector-borne disease transmission, resulting in more severe outbreaks, and outbreaks in formerly non-endemic areas. Miami-Dade County, Florida was the most affected area in the continental United States during the 2016 Zika virus outbreak. Miami is an important gateway and has suitable conditions for mosquitoes year-round. Therefore, it was critical to establish and validate a surveillance system to guide and improve mosquito control operations. Here we assess two years of mosquito surveillance in Miami established after the 2016 Zika virus outbreak. Our results show that the most abundant mosquito species are either well adapted to urban environments or are adapting to it. The five most abundant species comprised 85% of all specimens collected, with four of them being primary vectors of arboviruses. Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus were found year-round throughout Miami regardless of urbanization level, vegetation, or socioeconomic variations. This study serves as a foundation for future efforts to improve mosquito surveillance and control operations.
Highlights
Vector-borne diseases are a heavy burden to human-kind
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) officially confirmed 1,003,509 cases of Zika virus (ZIKV) between 2015 and 2018 in the Americas[3], and subsequent studies have shown the increase in fetus malformation with ZIKV infection during pregnancy[4,5]
BG-Sentinel traps collected a total of 568,565 mosquitoes, from which 355,381 were Cx. quinquefasciatus (62%) and 134,652 Ae. aegypti (23%), comprising 85% of all collected mosquitoes
Summary
Global warming and urbanization have a significant impact on vector-borne disease transmission, resulting in more severe outbreaks, and outbreaks in formerly non-endemic areas. Effective surveillance is fundamental as mosquitoes are often locally concentrated, abundant, and harder to control primarily in those specific, definable habitats at the neighborhood level. These favorable habitats provide optimal conditions and environmental resources needed for mosquito survival, a key determinant of their vectorial capacity. It is critical for the development of any mosquito control strategy to know through effective surveillance www.nature.com/scientificreports/. Www.nature.com/scientificreports the geographic distribution, community composition and relative abundance of vector mosquitoes as well as the risk of introduction of arboviruses[21,22]
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