Abstract
Objective: A study was conducted in Salto (Uruguay), a city recently invaded by Aedes aegypti (Diptera, Culicidae), in order to identify mosquito-producing containers, the relationship between different Aedes aegypti population indices and environmental risk conditions for the dengue vector. Due to uruguayan climatic characteristics, the vector population decreases abruptly during the winter and regrows when temperature rises, resulting in a particular population dynamic that differs from that of tropical regions. Methods: 20 clusters randomly selected (100 household each) were visited twice and water filled containers and immature mosquitoes were quantified. Pupae per person (PPI), pupae per hectare (PPH) and Stegomyia indices were calculated. The number of mosquitoes in each container type was analyzed, and their spatial location was described. Results: The study was able to detect important epidemiological containers (containers not in use and tanks). While PPI, PPH and Stegomyia indices for the different clusters were correlated, the Stegomyia indices increased significantly between the first and second sampling. Clusters with abundant vegetation, or located on lower ground showed the highest PPI values. Conclusion: Due to its proximity to areas where dengue fever is endemic, Salto becomes valuable for case studies relevant to other areas in the world that could be invaded by this vector.
Highlights
The world health organization (WHO) has estimated that 50-100 million of dengue virus infections occur annually while a recent study calculated that the true figure may be closer to 400 million [1,2,3]
The geographic extension of dengue is essentially determined by the distribution of its primary vector, the mosquito Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera, Culicidae)
It can be mentioned as examples that three autochthonous cases of dengue were reported in Europe in 2010 [11,12], and 27 and 63 autochthonous cases were documented in Florida (United States of America) in 2009 and 2010, respectively, for the first time in over 50 year (Centers for disease control [CDC] 2010, Graham, et al 2011), underlining the fact that the introduction of dengue in not-endemic areas is a real threat
Summary
The world health organization (WHO) has estimated that 50-100 million of dengue virus infections occur annually while a recent study calculated that the true figure may be closer to 400 million [1,2,3]. Dengue is endemic throughout the tropics and it has been confirmed in 128 countries worldwide [4,5]. The geographic extension of dengue is essentially determined by the distribution of its primary vector, the mosquito Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera, Culicidae). This species is commonly found in high numbers in urban areas, living close to human dwellings, where females usually breed in man-made containers [6]. Human migration probably includes infected people and international travel constantly introduces new vectors to new geographic areas [7]. It can be mentioned as examples that three autochthonous cases of dengue were reported in Europe in 2010 [11,12], and 27 and 63 autochthonous cases were documented in Florida (United States of America) in 2009 and 2010, respectively, for the first time in over 50 year (Centers for disease control [CDC] 2010, Graham, et al 2011), underlining the fact that the introduction of dengue in not-endemic areas is a real threat
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