Abstract
The identification of mosquito vector species present at arboviral enzootic transmission foci is important to understand transmission eco-epidemiology and to propose and implement prevention and control strategies that reduce vector-borne equine encephalitis transmission. The goal of this study was to identify mosquito species potentially involved in the transmission of enzootic equine encephalitis, in relation to their abundance and diversity at three endemic regions in the República de Panamá. We sampled adult mosquitoes during the dry and rainy season of Panamá. We employed CDC light traps with octanol, EV traps with CO2 and Trinidad 17 traps baited with live hamsters. Traps were deployed in the peridomicile and extradomicile of houses from 18:00 to 6:00 h. We estimated the abundance and diversity of sampled species. We collected a total of 4868 mosquitoes, belonging to 45 species and 11 genera, over 216 sampling nights. Culex (Melanoconion) pedroi, a major Venezuelan equine encephalitis vector was relatively rare (< 2.0% of all sampled mosquitoes). We also found Cx. (Mel) adamesi, Cx. (Mel) crybda, Cx. (Mel) ocossa, Cx. (Mel) spissipes, Cx. (Mel) taeniopus, Cx. (Mel) vomerifer, Aedes scapularis, Ae. angustivittatus, Coquillettidia venezuelensis, Cx. nigripalpus, Cx. declarator, Mansonia titillans, M. pseudotitillans and Psorophora ferox all species known to be vectorially competent for the transmission of arboviruses. Abundance and diversity of mosquitoes in the sampled locations was high, when compared with similar surveys in temperate areas. Information from previous reports about vectorial competence / capacity of the sampled mosquito species suggest that sampled locations have all the elements to support enzootic outbreaks of Venezuelan and Eastern equine encephalitides.
Highlights
New World alphaviruses, like Venezuelan (VEEV) Eastern (EEEV) and Western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV), are etiologic agents of major zoonotic diseases transmitted by mosquitoes that affect humans and equines [1]
In this study we present results from a series of mosquito surveys in three regions with a history of equine encephalitis transmission, placing an emphasis on the diversity and abundance of potential VEEV and EEEV vectors
We designed this study to compare mosquito species composition from three enzootic arbovirus (VEEV and EEEV) transmission foci in the Panamaand Darien provinces and the autonomous indigenous Comarca Ngabe Bugle
Summary
New World alphaviruses, like Venezuelan (VEEV) Eastern (EEEV) and Western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV), are etiologic agents of major zoonotic diseases transmitted by mosquitoes that affect humans and equines [1]. The equine encephalitides are often lethal or leave severe neurological sequelae following periodic epizootics and epidemics. These diseases have mandatory reporting to the World Organisation for Animal Health, OIE [2]. VEE is considered the most important re-emerging zoonosis affecting hundreds of thousands of equines and humans through the Americas [4,5,6]. Several EEE outbreaks have affected equines and humans, with a high mortality rate and significant neurologic damage in surviving individuals [7]
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