Microclimate and Human Factors in the Divergent Ecology of Aedes aegypti along the Arizona, U.S./Sonora, MX Border

Abstract

This study examined the association of human and environmental factors with the presence of Aedes aegypti, the vector for dengue fever and yellow fever viruses, in a desert region in the southwest United States and northwest Mexico. Sixty-eight sites were longitudinally surveyed along the United States-Mexico border in Tucson, AZ, Nogales, AZ, and Nogales, Sonora during a 3-year period. Aedes aegypti presence or absence at each site was measured three times per year using standard oviposition traps. Maximum and minimum temperature and relative humidity were measured hourly at each site. Field inventories were conducted to measure human housing factors potentially affecting mosquito presence, such as the use of air-conditioning and evaporative coolers, outdoor vegetation cover, and access to piped water. The results showed that Ae. aegypti presence was highly variable across space and time. Aedes aegypti presence was positively associated with highly vegetated areas. Other significant variables included microclimatic differences and access to piped water. This study demonstrates the importance of microclimate and human factors in predicting Ae. aegypti distribution in an arid environment.

Climate and Non-Climate Drivers of Dengue Epidemics in Southern Coastal Ecuador

“…52 Other studies found that rainfall shortages can increase dengue risk by increasing the need for water storage around the household. 53,54 Therefore, to understand and predict the effect of rainfall on dengue risk may require a finer-scale modeling approach that incorporates these context-specific socialecological parameters.…”

“…We report a statistical mixed model for assessing the importance of climate and non-climate drivers of interannual variability in dengue fever in southern coastal Ecuador. Local climate data and Pacific sea surface temperatures (Oceanic Niñ o Index [ONI]) were used to predict dengue standardized morbidity ratios (SMRs;1995-2010. Unobserved confounding factors were accounted for using non-structured yearly random effects.…”

The Dengue Virus Mosquito Vector Aedes aegypti at High Elevation in México

“…5,19 Socioeconomic conditions and human behavior (for example, water storage practices or use of air conditioning or mosquito screening to prevent intrusion of mosquitoes into homes) can confound basic associations between climate parameters and mosquito abundance. [20][21][22][23][24][25] It is, therefore, especially challenging to study associations between climate and Ae. aegypti along transects that include high variability in socioeconomic conditions, such as transects extending south to north from México to the United States.…”

Willingness to Pay for Mosquito Control in Key West, Florida and Tucson, Arizona

“…Timing of data collection in both cities coincided with rainy seasons, when mosquito densities are highest. 9,10 The study protocol and survey instrument were approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Arizona (protocol number 11-0709-00).…”