Abstract
Ae. albopictus, an invasive mosquito vector now endemic to much of the northeastern US, is a significant public health threat both as a nuisance biter and vector of disease (e.g. chikungunya virus). Here, we aim to quantify the relationships between local environmental and meteorological conditions and the abundance of Ae. albopictus mosquitoes in New York City. Using statistical modeling, we create a fine-scale spatially explicit risk map of Ae. albopictus abundance and validate the accuracy of spatiotemporal model predictions using observational data from 2016. We find that the spatial variability of annual Ae. albopictus abundance is greater than its temporal variability in New York City but that both local environmental and meteorological conditions are associated with Ae. albopictus numbers. Specifically, key land use characteristics, including open spaces, residential areas, and vacant lots, and spring and early summer meteorological conditions are associated with annual Ae. albopictus abundance. In addition, we investigate the distribution of imported chikungunya cases during 2014 and use these data to delineate areas with the highest rates of arboviral importation. We show that the spatial distribution of imported arboviral cases has been mostly discordant with mosquito production and thus, to date, has provided a check on local arboviral transmission in New York City. We do, however, find concordant areas where high Ae. albopictus abundance and chikungunya importation co-occur. Public health and vector control officials should prioritize control efforts to these areas and thus more cost effectively reduce the risk of local arboviral transmission. The methods applied here can be used to monitor and identify areas of risk for other imported vector-borne diseases.
Highlights
Aedes albopictus Skuse 1984, known as the Asian tiger mosquito, is an invasive mosquito of growing consequence and concern especially for temperate areas [1, 2]
We find that the spatial variability of annual Ae. albopictus abundance is greater than its temporal variability in New York City but that both local environmental and meteorological conditions are associated with Ae. albopictus numbers
The annual numbers of traps collecting Ae. albopictus, the total Ae. albopictus mosquitoes caught in gravid and light traps, and the abundance for gravid, light, and both trap types together are shown in Table 1 and Fig 1
Summary
Aedes albopictus Skuse 1984, known as the Asian tiger mosquito, is an invasive mosquito of growing consequence and concern especially for temperate areas [1, 2]. Its invasiveness is linked to its ability to exploit a range of container habitats, to lay desiccation resistant eggs that can survive without water for up to a year, and to oviposit eggs that hatch in installments [3]. In the last two decades, the Americas have witnessed the emergence of a number of epidemic arboviruses of public health significance: Beginning in the 1990s the resurgence and spread of dengue (DENV), in 1999 the arrival of West Nile virus (WNV), and in 2013 the explosive spread of chikungunya (CHIKV). The western hemisphere has experienced yet another arbovirus, Zika (ZIKV). These diseases incur significant costs to local economies and health care systems. Acute symptoms are typically not life-threatening; chronic conditions associated with these arboviruses are serious and in the case of the link between ZIKV and congenital microcephaly, devastating
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