Abstract
Arbovirus vector dynamics and spread are influenced by climatic, environmental and geographic factors. Major Chikungunya and Dengue fever outbreaks occurring the last 10 years have coincided with the expansion of the mosquito vector Aedes albopictus to nearly all the continents. We characterized the ecological (larval development sites, population dynamics, insemination and daily survival rates) and genetic (diversity, gene flow, population structure) features of two Aedes albopictus populations from distinct environments (rural and urban) on Réunion Island, in the South-West Indian Ocean. Microsatellite analysis suggests population sub-structuring Ae. albopictus populations. Two genetic clusters were identified that were significantly linked to natural versus urban habitats with a mixed population in both areas. Ae. albopictus individuals prefer urban areas for mating and immature development, where hosts and containers that serve as larval development sites are readily available and support high population densities, whereas natural environments appear to serve as reservoirs for the mosquito.
Highlights
In recent years, the emergence of arboviruses and some of their vectors has caused major health and economic problems worldwide
A total of 11,528 Ae. albopicutus larvae and pupae were collected from 728 potential larval development sites (Table 1)
A significant difference was observed between the number of immature mosquitoes from gullies or urban areas
Summary
The emergence of arboviruses and some of their vectors has caused major health and economic problems worldwide. Chikungunya (CHIK), an arbovirus infection that was not considered to be a major health problem before 2005, recently caused a major pandemic affecting Africa, Asia and to a lesser extent Europe. The vectors incriminated for this pandemic were primarily Ae. albopictus and to a lesser extent Ae. aegypti [14,15]. Aedes albopictus originated in Asia [16] and has extended its range in the last 20 years across many parts of the world. It is recognized as a competent vector of numerous arboviruses [14,17]
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