Entomological Investigation of Aedes aegypti In Neighborhoods With Confirmed Human Arbovirus Infection In Puerto Rico

Abstract

The exotic arboviruses chikungunya (CHIKV) and Zika (ZIKV) recently caused large outbreaks and continue to circulate in Puerto Rico, prompting entomological investigations at 9 locations with confirmed CHIKV-or ZIKV-infected human cases. Adult mosquitoes were collected using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention autocidal gravid ovitraps over a 14-day period at each site. Mean female Aedes aegypti captured per trapweek ranged from 13.47 per trap-week to 1.27 per trap-week. Arbovirus-positive pools were detected at 7 of the 9 sampling sites. We investigated vertical transmission by collecting Ae. aegypti eggs in a single location where ZIKV was found in adult mosquitoes. We discuss the relationship between vector density and infection rates and its implications for determining mosquito density thresholds of novel invasive arboviruses such as CHIKV and ZIKV.

Citywide Control of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) during the 2016 Zika Epidemic by Integrating Community Awareness, Education, Source Reduction, Larvicides, and Mass Mosquito Trapping

“…ZIKV was detected in Ae. aegypti around confirmed cases and in mosquito surveillance sites (Barrera et al 2018b, Felix et al 2018), which confirms the involvement of Ae. aegypti in the transmission of DENV, CHIKV, and ZIKV in Puerto Rico.…”

“…CHIKV virus was detected in Ae. aegypti mosquitoes around confirmed cases and in mosquito surveillance sites (Barrera et al 2017, Felix et al 2018). Thus far, no further epidemics of this virus have been reported in Puerto Rico.…”

“…aegypti in the transmission of DENV, CHIKV, and ZIKV in Puerto Rico. Another potential vector of these arboviruses (Pool-Smith et al 2015), Aedes mediovittatus (Coquillett) has not been found infected with DENV, CHIKV or ZIKV in Puerto Rico thus far (CDC, unpublished; Felix et al 2018). Because Zika infections are associated with developmental defects in infants, substantial resources were mobilized to protect pregnant women from becoming infected and to activate Ae.…”

Highly Efficient Vertical Transmission for Zika Virus in Aedes aegypti after Long Extrinsic Incubation Time

“…ZIKV was also repeatedly detected in eggs and larvae collected in urban and forested environments [15][16][17][18]. However, a few other studies report an absence of VT in the laboratory or lack of detection in immature stages in the field [19,20]. Altogether, there is enough evidence to support the existence of VT for ZIKV in Ae.…”

Dinámica espaciotemporal de la población del mosquito Aedes aegypti (L.) en la zona del Caño Martín Peña en San Juan de Puerto Rico durante los años epidemiológicos 2018–2019; repercusiones a la salud para los residentes de las comunidades aledañas

“…y en Puerto Rico se combinan las estrategias de las trampas para mosquitos hembras grávidas con la tecnología de GIS con el propósito de poder establecer umbrales de mosquitos en los cuales por debajo del número determinado significaría control del vector o la cero transmisión del virus del dengue en la población (Barrera, 2016b). La determinación de umbrales relativos a la abundancia del mosquito en un lugar es importante porque permitiría cuantificar cuándo es el momento de mayor riesgo o de no riesgo de transmisión de enfermedades arbovirales a la población humana, y sería muy útil para los esfuerzos de manejo y control de vectores del lugar Felix et al, 2018). A diferencia de los umbrales obtenidos mediante índices larvarios, los umbrales obtenidos por este modo particular tiene valor para diferentes escalas de un lugar infestado por problemas de mosquitos, en cambio, los umbrales obtenidos por los índices larvarios solo tienen una validez del lugar a muy pequeña escala y tienden a subestimar el tamaño real de la población de mosquitos del lugar (Barrera, 2010(Barrera, , 2016bBowman et al, 2014).…”