Seasonal Activity of Adult Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in a Focus of Dirofilariasis and West Nile Infection in Northern Iran

Abstract

Background: Mosquito-borne arboviruses such as West Nile, dengue, Rift Valley fever, and Sindbis viruses and the nematode Dirofilaria are reported in Iran, but there is little information on the seasonal activity of their vectors in the country. We aimed to determine the seasonal activity of adult mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in a focus of diro­filariasis and West Nile infection in Guilan Province, northern Iran. 
 Methods: Collections were carried out using light traps in seven counties at least two times from random sites and every two weeks from a fixed site (Pareh Village, Rudbar County) during Aug–Dec 2015 and Apr–Oct 2016.
 Results: Overall, 16327 adult mosquitoes comprising 18 species representing seven genera were identified. The most prevalent species were Cx. theileri (23.59%), Cx. tritaeniorhynchus (20.75%), Cx. pipiens (19.37%), Ae. vexans (18.18%), An. pseudopictus (10.92%) and An. maculipennis s.l. (5.48%). Aedes pulcritarsis and Cx. perexiguus were found for the first time in Guilan Province. The active season of adult mosquitoes extended from early May to early Oct in the fixed site. There was no significant regression between the abundance of adult mosquitoes and the meteor­ological data during active season in the fixed site (P> 0.05, R2= 0.31).
 Conclusion: Though no significant regression between the abundance of mosquitoes and the meteorological data was observed during active season, temperature and rice fields had a great influence in starting and ending active season in the region.

Vertical Distribution, Biodiversity, and Some Selective Aspects of the Physicochemical Characteristics of the Larval Habitats of Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, Iran

“…sacharovi that is absent or rarely found in this area. 21,32,56 Probably, other factors such as rice fields, temperature, and humidity, instead of altitude, influence the composition of the species in the region. More accurate interpretation of the altitudinal data of An.…”

Monthly Population Fluctuations and Abundance Index (SISA) of Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae), as Potential Bridge Vectors of Pathogens to Humans and Animals in Mazandaran Province, Northern Iran

“…There is not much data about the seasonal activity of culicine mosquitoes, especially in adult stage, in Iran [29]. The highest activity peak of Cx.…”

“…maculipennis s.l. showed the highest peak of activity in the mid-July in Guilan [29] and July-August in Kalaleh County of Golestan Province [30], northern Iran. In neighboring Turkey, the species peaked in August and July-August [66,67].…”

“…These differences in population patterns could possibly be due to regional ecological differences. On the other hand, some researchers believe that these discrepancy might also be due to the low collection effort involved in the studies [26] or sampling regimes [28,29,49,66,67].…”

A Global Perspective on Controlling West Nile Virus Identifying Efficient and Effective Public Health Strategies

“…In another study conducted in India, it was found that the serological element of WNV in domestic ducks is highly prevalent in areas where WNV human cases were reported, which urged the public health authorities to implement surveillance programs to prevent future outbreaks [44]. Mosquito serology studies are discussed in another article where samples were collected by a suction tube and flashlight; the result of this study indicated that one of the WNV strains was persistent during the winter period, and more research in this matter was suggested [45].…”