High mosquito diversity in an Amazonian village of Ecuador, surrounded by a Biological Reserve, using a rapid assessment method

Abstract

This research represents a study in an Amazonian village that has similar structures to others Kichwa Amazonian villages of Ecuador. We evaluated the diversity, ecology, possibility of mosquitoes/ pathogens translocation from forest to urban area, and the vulnerability by potential mosquito vectors of diseases through an intensive and fast method done January 2017. Our analyses registered a high diversity of mosquitos in Limoncocha village (33 spp, H’ 2.76), which includes four new records of species for Ecuador. We propose the biological reserve and the lagoon are determinant environmental factors for the high mosquito diversity, plus the socio-economic characteristics related with a deficient water pipeline supply and lack of solid waste system. Furthermore, the high diversity of sylvan mosquitoes registered throughout the area, that include several potential vectors, suggest a moderate to high vulnerability for the transference of pathogens from the Biological Reserve to the urbanized area, which may increase the circulation of little-known arboviruses (Mayaro, Ilheus, St Louis encephalitis) across Ecuador.