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Spatial Stability of Adult Aedes aegypti Populations

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Vector control programs could be more efficient by identifying the location of highly productive sites of Aedes aegypti. This study explored if the number of female adults of Ae. aegypti in BG-Sentinel traps was clustered and if their spatial distribution changed in time in two neighborhoods in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Traps were uniformly distributed across each neighborhood (130 m from each other), and samples were taken every 3 weeks. Global and local spatial autocorrelations were explored. Spatial stability existed if the rank order of trap captures was kept in time. There was lack of global autocorrelation in both neighborhoods, precluding their stratification for control purposes. Hot and cold spots were identified, revealing the highly focal nature of Ae. aegypti. There was significant spatial stability throughout the study in both locations. The consistency in trap productivity in time could be used to increase the effectiveness of vector and dengue control programs.
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1087
Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 85(6), 2011, pp. 1087–1092
doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2011.11-0381
Copyright © 2011 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
INTRODUCTION
Vector control programs could be more efficient if the spa-
tial locations of highly productive areas of Aedes aegypti were
predictable. Several studies have reported that dengue vector
abundance is highly heterogeneous, with some neighborhoods
showing significantly higher infestation levels.
1– 3 Likewise,
dengue incidence has been found to be highly variable, with a
few areas having the largest values.
4– 8 For example, most den-
gue cases (70%) were reported from a relatively small fraction
(35%) of all neighborhoods in a dengue hyperendemic city
during 6 years of observations.
4 It was observed throughout
the period of study that the rank order of dengue incidence per
neighborhood was kept practically unaltered between years.
Also, neighborhoods having the largest dengue incidence
were those neighborhoods with the highest average density of
Ae. aegypti females per house, but vector abundance was also
relatively large in neighborhoods with intermediate dengue
incidence and correspondingly low in places with low dengue
incidence.
9 A distinct feature of the neighborhoods with the
largest dengue incidence was that they also had the longest
periods of uninterrupted dengue transmission (dengue persis-
tence or endemicity). Thus, it is important to study the spatial
and temporal dynamics of dengue transmission. This knowl-
edge allows for the stratification of cities so that vector control
programs can allocate their resources more effectively.
4, 10, 11
From the point of view of operational vector control, it
would also be useful to understand the spatial and temporal
patterns of mosquito abundance at finer geographical scales,
such as city block or household levels. Getis and others
12 stud-
ied the spatial distribution of Ae. aegypti at the household level
in two neighborhoods in Iquitos, Peru. They reported that Ae.
aegypti adults clustered mostly at 10 m, with some degree of
clustering up to 30 m. Chansang and Kittayapong
13 found clus-
ters of immature Ae. aegypti up to 20 m, and Getis and oth-
ers
12 found clusters up to 10 m (households). Similarly, it has
been reported that dengue cases cluster within households.
14, 15
Studies of space–time clustering of dengue cases showed clus-
ters within and around households (< 10–15 m) and clusters
that were close in time (3–6 days).
16, 17 Thus, both Ae. aegypti
and dengue cases seem to cluster at rather short distance and
time. An important consequence of this highly clustered, local
spatial pattern is that missing some houses during vector con-
trol operations can leave intact mosquito clusters that could
repopulate the area. The primary question is whether the loca-
tion of clusters can be determined in advance for operational
vector control purposes. The household-level study of Getis
and others
12 reported that most clusters of adult Ae. aegypti did
not appear in the same places in the two surveys that they con-
ducted 3 weeks apart. Strickman and Kittayapong
18 reported
that clusters of Ae. aegypti larvae in three villages in Thailand
changed locations with the seasons. Pupal surveys conducted
at two times of the year in a southern town in Puerto Rico
showed that a significant number of households changed their
status from producers (with pupae) to non-producers (without
pupae) and vice versa between surveys.
19 Thus, it would seem
that the temporal instability of the spatial distribution of Ae.
aegypti at very fine scales precludes the localization of highly
productive premises that could be targeted for vector control.
The spatial dispersal of Ae. aegypti has been studied at the
level of city blocks. For example, Fernandes and others
2 found
clusters of immature Ae. aegypti (Breteau Index) comprising
one to three blocks in Rio de Janerio, Brazil, and they con-
cluded that analyses at the neighborhood level did not allow
for the detection of such aggregation. The size of city blocks
varies within a city and between countries, but generally, they
are around 100 m or more. Given that spatial autocorrelation
seems to fade beyond 30 m for adult Ae. aegypti and at even
shorter distances for immatures,
12 clusters of mosquitoes per
block should reflect the contributions of highly productive
households within blocks. Unfortunately, the temporal stabil-
ity or predictability of block-level clusters has not been inves-
tigated, and investigation could inform if these clusters are
useful to guide vector control operations. Investigating vector
processes at the scale of hundreds of meters may prove use-
ful. Vazquez-Prokopec and others
20 found that 95% of dengue
cases reported within the first week of onset of symptoms of
an index case occurred at less than 125 m from it during an
outbreak in Cairns, Australia.
We recently investigated the temporal dynamics of female
adults of Ae. aegypti in two neighborhoods with a history of
dengue in San Juan, Puerto Rico (CDC, unpublished). In this
study, BG-Sentinel traps (Biogents, Regensburg, Germany)
were spaced slightly over 100 m from each other to mini-
mize trap interaction that could interfere with independent
Spatial Stability of Adult Aedes aegypti Populations
Roberto Barrera *
Entomology and Ecology Activity, Dengue Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Abstract. Vector control programs could be more efficient by identifying the location of highly productive sites of
Aedes aegypti . This study explored if the number of female adults of Ae. aegypti in BG-Sentinel traps was clustered and
if their spatial distribution changed in time in two neighborhoods in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Traps were uniformly distrib-
uted across each neighborhood (130 m from each other), and samples were taken every 3 weeks. Global and local spatial
autocorrelations were explored. Spatial stability existed if the rank order of trap captures was kept in time. There was
lack of global autocorrelation in both neighborhoods, precluding their stratification for control purposes. Hot and cold
spots were identified, revealing the highly focal nature of Ae. aegypti . There was significant spatial stability throughout the
study in both locations. The consistency in trap productivity in time could be used to increase the effectiveness of vector
and dengue control programs.
*Address correspondence to Roberto Barrera, Entomology and
Ecology Activity, Dengue Branch, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, Calle Cañada, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00920. E-mail:
rbarrera@cdc.gov
1088 BARRERA
estimations of vector density. Traps were operated every
3 weeks to minimize sampling the same mosquito cohorts. We
took advantage of this setup to investigate if Ae. aegypti adults
showed spatial clustering and determine if the spatial pattern
of adult abundance within each neighborhood changed in
time. A static spatial pattern of Ae. aegypti could be valuable
for preemptive vector control measures. This study reports
significant concordance in the rank orders of trap catches
throughout the study, showing high temporal consistency or
stability in the spatial pattern of Ae. aegypti females in both
neighborhoods that may be useful for vector and dengue con-
trol operations.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study sites. The study was carried out in two neighborhoods
of the Metro Area of San Juan, Puerto Rico: El Comandante
(EC, 6,951 persons and 1,979 buildings; US Census 2000) and
Villa Carolina (VC, 9,240 persons and 1,996 buildings). These
two neighborhoods are 3 km apart and belong to the adja-
cent municipalities of San Juan (EC, 18°2402 N, 65°5930 W)
and Carolina (VC, 18°2352 N, 65°5726 W). Rainfall in
the San Juan area occurs year round, with a relatively short
dry season (< 100 mm/month) between January and March
and two rainy peaks around May and November. Total
annual rainfall at the nearby Muñoz–Marin International
Airport (5–7 km) during 2008 was 1,388 mm, and mean
annual temperature was 27.0°C. The population dynamics of
Ae. aegypti were investigated in these neighborhoods to even-
tually compare the impact of vector control measures (control
versus intervention).
Carolina Municipality had a spatial insecticide spraying pro-
gram (truck-mounted Ultra Low Volume [ULV] equipment)
that was active throughout the study, whereas the San Juan
Municipality used a similar insecticide spraying technique but
only around notified cases of dengue. Thus, we believe that VC
was subjected to a more frequent application of ULV insecti-
cide spraying. However, we could not establish the frequency
or coverage of insecticide spraying in either neighborhood
because of insufficient data.
Adult Ae. aegypti mosquitoes. The study consisted of
capturing Ae. aegypti adults using 40 BG-Sentinel mosquito
traps baited with BG-Lure (lactic acid, ammonia, and caproic
acid; Biogents, Regensburg, Germany) in each neighborhood
from November 2007 to December 2008 (20 samples). Each
trap was operated for 4 consecutive days every 3 weeks to
avoid collecting female Ae. aegypti from the same adult cohort
given that they are not expected to live beyond that time
in the field.
21 Collection bags were replaced every day, and
batteries were replaced after 2 days of operation. Traps were
uniformly distributed across each neighborhood, resulting
in intertrap average distances of 132 m in EC and 137 m in
VC. We calculated the average number of female Ae. aegypti
captured per trap per day for each sample as a measure of
relative abundance.
A Geographical Information System (GIS; ArcView 9.2;
Esri, Redlands, CA) was developed for each neighborhood
with the following geo-spatial layers: polygons showing house
boundaries (Tax Revenue Agency, San Juan, Puerto Rico),
points showing house centroids, lines representing streets, and
house centroids representing trap locations. Thematic maps
showing the number of Ae. aegypti females captured per trap
per day for each of the 20 samples were made to visually exam-
ine the spatial patterns over time.
The global Moran’s I correlation coefficient
22 was used to
determine if the number of Ae. aegypti females per trap per
day was spatially autocorrelated in each neighborhood. Spatial
autocorrelation occurs when the numbers of mosquitoes per
trap per day in nearby traps are more similar than in traps that
are farther away. The Moran’s I correlation coefficient is said
to be a global measure of spatial dependence, because it uses
a single summary statistics to describe the overall spatial auto-
correlation in the neighborhood. The test was applied to each
sample to determine if autocorrelation changed in time. To
detect local spatial patterns of Ae. aegypti abundance within
each neighborhood, we calculated the Getis–Ord Gi* spatial
statistics.
23 This test detects hot/cold spots or traps with unusu-
ally larger or smaller captures. Calculations were performed
using ArcView’s Spatial Analyst tool. Thematic maps showing
summaries of average trap captures and hot/cold spots were
produced for visual analyses.
Spatial stability of mosquito abundance occurs when the
observed spatial pattern repeats in time. In this case, there is
spatial stability if the order of mosquito captures per trap is
kept from one sample to the next. To test for spatial stabil-
ity, a Spearman rank correlation coefficient of trap captures
between consecutive samples (forward lag = 1) was calculated.
A significant and positive correlation coefficient indicates
that the rank order of trap yields was kept between consecu-
tive observations. Spearman’s rank correlations were also cal-
culated for all other forward time lags (2–19 lags of 3 weeks
each) to determine if the correlations faded between samples
at different future times. For example, a significant positive
correlation between samples with a forward time lag of two
means similarity in ranks of trap captures that were spaced
in time by 6 weeks. To test for overall spatial stability in each
neighborhood, we calculated a Kendall’s W coefficient of con-
cordance for each neighborhood using all 20 samples. This sta-
tistic measures the overall concordance among the rank order
of trap yields for all samples and varies between zero and one.
Significant values of Kendall’s W imply that there was overall
consistency in trap ranks throughout the study. Accumulated
rainfall during the second and third weeks before a given
sampling date was calculated to determine whether changes
in rainfall and average mosquito population were associated
with periods of spatial stability or instability. Rainfall during
the week of sampling does not contribute many new adult
Ae. aegypti , because its immature development lasts about
1 week.
RESULTS
Spatial patterns. The average number of Ae. aegypti
females per trap per day was 4.76 ± 0.22 (±95% confidence
interval [CI], N = 3,059 trap days) in EC. There was significant
spatial autocorrelation at α = 0.05 in only 1 of 20 samples
during the first week of July of 2008 ( I = 0.32, Z = 2.803).
In general, average Ae. aegypti captures in EC were spread
throughout the neighborhood, without appreciable global
clustering ( Figure 1A ). This figure depicts how traps were
spaced throughout the neighborhood, although the location
of houses, blocks, or streets is not shown. Global clustering
would typically show areas with one or more traps with large
numbers of mosquitoes surrounded by traps with numbers that
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SPATIAL STABILITY OF AEDES AEGYPTI
gradually decrease with the distance. Getis–Ord’s local spatial
statistics were calculated for every sample to detect traps with
unusually large (hot spots) or small (cold spots) captures. To
summarize and map hot spots throughout the study period,
we assigned a value of one to each trap that was identified
as a hot spot ( P < 0.05) in any sampling date and added the
values to represent the number of times that a trap was a hot
spot ( Figure 1B ). Likewise, traps that were classified as cold
spots ( P < 0.05) within a sampling date were assigned a value
of −1 and added up. Cold spots are traps with low values that
are surrounded by other traps with low values. Cold spots in
EC were localized close to each other, whereas hot spots were
observed throughout the neighborhood ( Figure 1B ). Despite
the lack of global spatial autocorrelation, local clustering was
common, and some traps were frequent hot spots (4–11 of 20
samples) ( Figure 1B ). It can be observed that traps with large
average captures of Ae. aegypti were usually classified as hot
spots.
The average number of Ae. aegypti females per trap per
day was 3.80 ± 0.14 ( N = 3,048) in VC. None of the Moran’s
I correlation coefficients were significant at α = 0.05 for
any sample, indicating lack of global spatial autocorrelation
throughout the study. Similar to EC, average numbers of
Ae. aegypti females per trap in VC were spread throughout
the neighborhood, which is the main reason why the global
autocorrelation analysis did not detect significant clustering
( Figure 2A ). Getis–Ord’s local spatial statistics revealed the
presence of hot and cold spots in VC ( Figure 2B ). The spatial
dispersal of hot spots corresponded well with the location of
traps with large mosquito yields. Cold spots were scattered,
particularly around the periphery of the neighborhood in VC
( Figure 2B ).
Spatial stability. The rank order of mosquito captures per
trap (every 3 weeks) was compared using the Spearman
correlation coefficient to determine the similarity of trap yields
between sampling dates. For example, the correlation between
rank orders of Ae. aegypti females per trap between samples
two and one was 0.514 ( P < 0.05) in EC. Most correlation
coefficients between consecutive samples (future time lag = 1)
were highly ( P < 0.01) significant in EC, with slight reductions
in significance ( P < 0.05) on occasions that seemed to be
associated with marked increases in rainfall and numbers of
Ae. aegypti females per trap ( Figure 3A ). Those reductions can
be observed between samples 4 and 5, 10 and 11, and 14 and
15. There were significant and negative associations between
Spearman’s rank correlations and both the number of Ae.
aegypti females per trap ( r = −0.534, P < 0.05) and rainfall
( r = −632, P < 0.01) per sampling date. That is, spatial stability
decreased at times when Ae. aegypti populations increased or
expanded because of rainfall. Average Spearman’s correlation
coefficients were largest at forward time lags one and two,
but correlations did not fade out and stayed above significant
levels (α = 0.05) for most time lags ( Figure 4 ). The Kendall’s
W coefficient of concordance of mosquito yields per trap
throughout the study was significant ( W = 0.305, P < 0.01)
in EC, showing overall consistency in the rank order of trap
yields.
Most of the Spearman’s correlation coefficients of mos-
quito captures between consecutive samples (lag = 1) in VC
were highly significant ( P < 0.01) ( Figure 3B ). Similar to EC,
Spearman’s correlation coefficients between rank orders of
trap captures were largest at forward time lags one and two
and stayed above significant levels for all time lags ( Figure 4 ).
The Kendall’s W coefficient of concordance in VC was lower
than in EC but nevertheless, significant ( W = 0.152,
P < 0.01).
There did not seem to be any consistency in the changes of
the correlation coefficients and rainfall or mosquitoes per trap
( Figure 3B ), which was observed in EC ( Figure 3A ). There was
a lack of correlation between the Spearman’s rank coefficients
and the number of Ae. aegypti females per trap ( r = 0.271,
P > 0.05) or rainfall ( r = 212, P > 0.05) in VC.
DISCUSSION
This investigation showed lack of global spatial depen-
dence of the number of female adult Ae. aegypti captured
in BG-Sentinel traps that were uniformly spaced (130 m) in
each of two neighborhoods during 20 consecutive population
samples every 3 weeks in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This finding
means that adult females of Ae. aegypti were not clustered in
particular areas of the neighborhoods, which is unfortunate;
these neighborhoods could not be stratified into areas with
varying mosquito densities that would simplify vector control
operations. This finding is possibly because of the functional
Figure 1. Spatial pattern of ( A ) the overall average number of Ae.
aegypti females per trap per day in 40 traps scattered throughout EC
neighborhood (sampled every 3 weeks; total of 20 samples) between
November 2007 and December 2008, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and
( B ) a summary of traps classified as hot or cold spots based on the
Getis–Ord’s (Gi*) statistics.
1090 BARRERA
homogeneity in terms of housing type, basic public services,
etc. of the residential neighborhoods investigated here.
The analysis of local spatial dependence did reveal local clus-
tering or hot spots scattered throughout the neighborhoods,
and the temporal analyses showed a relatively high concor-
dance in the rank order of trap productivity in time, which trans-
lates into a pattern of spatial stability of Ae. aegypti females in
both neighborhoods. Spatial stability, expressed as the persis-
tence of hot spots for periods of time at the same locations, has
been reported for tsetse flies in Luke Community, Ethiopia.
24
A previous study using BG traps revealed significant spa-
tial clustering of adult Ae. aegypti at the household scale but
little temporal clustering in individual traps that were oper-
ated for 15 days in Cairns, Australia.
25 Other previous studies
conducted at the household scale did not show spatial consis-
tency in adult or immature density in time.
12, 18, 19 This study dif-
fers from previous ones in that we sampled every 3 weeks for
over 1 year, which allows for the observation of how spatial
Figure 2. Spatial pattern of ( A ) the overall average number of Ae. aegypti females per trap per day in 40 traps scattered throughout VC neigh-
borhood (sampled every 3 weeks; total of 20 samples) between November 2007 and December 2008, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and ( B ) a summary of
traps classified as hot or cold spots based on the Getis–Ord’s (Gi*) statistics.
Figure 3. Changes in Spearman’s correlation coefficients between
consecutive sampling dates (every 3 weeks), accumulated rainfall dur-
ing the second and third weeks before mosquito sampling, and num-
ber of female Ae. aegypti per BG-Sentinel trap per day (×10) from
November 2007 to December 2008 in ( A ) EC and ( B ) VC, San Juan,
Puerto Rico. Lines were smoothed using the cubic spline function of
Excel.
Figure 4. Average Spearman’s correlation coefficients of the
number of female Ae. aegypti per BG-Sentinel trap per day between
samples in each neighborhood at various forward time lags (each
lag = 3 weeks). Significant correlation coefficients are greater than
0.313 (two-sided test, N = 40, α = 0.05). Lines were smoothed using the
cubic spline function of Excel.
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SPATIAL STABILITY OF AEDES AEGYPTI
patterns change in time in greater detail, and our sampling was
done at the scale of city blocks (130 m). The scale at which
observations are made seems to be an important component
that merits additional investigations. For example, Getis and
others
12 showed that the spatial dependence of Ae. aegypti
disappeared beyond 30 m in Iquitos, Peru. Exploring scale
effects can help optimize entomological surveillance and vec-
tor control.
24
The results of the present study also showed significant cor-
relations in the rank order of mosquito abundance per trap at
most forward time lags throughout the study ( Figure 4 ), which
means high predictability in the spatial pattern of Ae. aegypti
productivity. Captured mosquitoes were most likely produced
nearby, because in most mark–release–recapture studies, Ae.
aegypti adults are captured within 100 m a few days after
release,
21, 26, 27 with the exception of gravid females that can
fly longer distances in search of containers with water.
28 The
permanency of the rank orders of abundance of Ae. aegypti
females in time must reflect the existence of persistent, local
sources of mosquitoes near the traps.
29 The important conse-
quence of the existence of relative stability in the spatial pat-
tern of trap yields is that the hot spots could be targeted for a
more efficient vector and dengue control. However, this strat-
egy clearly points out that vector control organizations would
need to conduct vector surveillance at similar scales. The advent
of mosquito surveillance devices, such as the BG-Sentinel trap
or similar devices that reflect the local abundance of adult Ae.
aegypti , provides the opportunity to do this surveillance.
The spatial heterogeneity of Ae. aegypti females per trap
was considerable ( Figures 1 and 2 ). One trap captured 91
females and 153 males of Ae. aegypti in a single day in the
porch of a house. It is conceivable that, if a dengue-infected
person stays at one of such hot spots in the study areas, it could
initiate the local transmission of dengue viruses. Furthermore,
it is reasonable to propose the hypothesis that Ae. aegypti ’s
hot spots are the most likely places where dengue viruses get
established and from which dengue viruses can be exported to
other areas. It has been shown that dengue virus transmission
is highly focal in nature and associated with the abundance
of Ae. aegypti , 30 but it has not been shown if the elimination
of local hot spots could prevent the establishment of dengue
viruses. There is evidence showing that dengue infections tend
to recur at or near the same places in time,
31, 32 which might be
because of persistent Ae. aegypti ’s hot spots.
Spatial stability faded during periods of significant increases
in rainfall and high Ae. aegypti adult density in EC, which was
revealed by the negative correlations between these variables
and the Spearman’s correlation coefficients. The negative cor-
relations mean that the rank orders of trap captures drastically
changed from one sampling date to the next. This transient
change in the spatial pattern of trap captures may be indica-
tive of the recruitment of many containers that were filled with
water in the study area, but the spatial pattern in mosquito
productivity soon returned to its previous order after reduc-
tions in population density ( Figures 3 and 4 ). This observation
seems to suggest that mosquito sampling after heavy rains
would not necessarily reflect the prevalent spatial pattern of
productivity. From a vector control perspective, it implies that
vector surveillance should be conducted more frequently dur-
ing periods in which the population of Ae. aegypti expands.
Our results are strikingly similar to the results of Sciarretta
and others,
33 who have recently described patterns of spatial
stability in tsetse flies that were transiently disrupted after sig-
nificant increases in the size of the fly populations; this sta-
bility was followed by a quick return to the previous spatial
pattern associated with lower fly densities.
The effect of rain and mosquito density on the dissimilarity
of rank order trap captures was not observed in VC ( Figure 4 ).
This neighborhood was more intensely subjected to spatial
spraying of insecticides than EC, and perhaps for that reason,
Ae. aegypti adult abundance during the peak of the rainy sea-
son in VC was also smaller than in EC: (CDC, unpublished).
There is evidence that effective vector control changes the spa-
tial pattern of adult Ae. aegypti . For example, immature con-
trol measures targeting surface containers in a southern Puerto
Rican town changed the spatial pattern of adult mosquitoes
from one in which there was no clustering before control to
one in which significant clusters appeared around untreated,
underground aquatic habitats.
34 Thus, it is likely that the spa-
tial pattern of Ae. aegypti is bound to change after the applica-
tion of effective vector control measures. For this reason, it is
recommended that vector control measures be monitored for
their effectiveness in reducing adult mosquito abundance and
the spatial distribution of mosquitoes.
34
Given that hot spots tend to be stationary for periods of
time, it is likely that an approach based on adaptive popula-
tion management could result in an efficient way to reduce the
risk of local dengue transmission. Adaptive population man-
agement has been successfully applied to reduce stationary
hot spots of tsetse flies.
24 This management approach relies on
the dynamic interaction between entomological surveillance,
aimed at identifying hot spots, and application of local vector
control in and around hot spots. Clearly, adaptive management
depends on efficient vector surveillance, prompt data analy-
sis, and mapping capabilities. Future research on novel ways
to control dengue could focus on developing inexpensive but
efficient traps for adult Ae. aegypti , establishing proper scales
for trap deployment, and testing the effectiveness of adaptive
control.
Received June 17, 2011. Accepted for publication July 16, 2011.
Acknowledgments: I would like to thank Belkis Caban, Veronica
Acevedo, Manuel Amador, Andrew J. MacKay, Gilberto Felix, Juan
Medina, Angel Berrios, Jesus Flores, and Orlando Gonzalez for their
outstanding field and laboratory work and the residents of Villa
Carolina, Extension El Comandante, and El Comandante for their
support throughout the study. Interactions with vector control offi-
cials of the municipality of Carolina are much appreciated.
Author’s address: Roberto Barrera, Entomology and Ecology Activity,
Dengue Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, San
Juan, Puerto Rico, E-mail: rbarrera@cdc.gov .
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... Understanding the drivers of local Aedes heterogeneity in urban centres is important for implementation of efficient surveillance and vector control. For example, as large-scale vector control across an entire city is time and resource consuming, focalized targeting at the neighbourhood or household level may be more cost effective [20,22,25,26]. ...
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Background Dengue (DENV) transmission is endemic throughout coastal Ecuador, showing heterogeneous incidence patterns in association with fine-scale variation in Aedes aegypti vector populations and other factors. Here, we investigated the impact of micro-climate and neighbourhood-level variation in urbanization on Aedes abundance, resting behaviour and associations with dengue incidence in two endemic areas. Methodology/Principal findings Aedes aegypti were collected in Quinindé and Portoviejo, two urban cantons with hyperendemic dengue transmission in coastal Ecuador. Aedes vectors were sampled in and around houses within urban and peri-urban neighbourhoods at four time periods. We tested for variation in vector abundance and resting behaviour in relation to neighbourhood urbanization level and microclimatic factors. Aedes abundance increased towards the end of the rainy season, was significantly higher in Portoviejo than in Quinindé, and in urban than in peri-urban neighbourhoods. Aedes vectors were more likely to rest inside houses in Portoviejo but had similar abundance in indoor and outdoor resting collections in Quinindé. Over the study period, DENV incidence was lower in Quinindé than in Portoviejo. Relationships between weekly Ae. aegypti abundance and DENV incidence were highly variable between trapping methods; with positive associations being detected only between BG-sentinel and outdoor Prokopack collections. Conclusions/Significance Aedes aegypti abundance was significantly higher in urban than peri-urban neighbourhoods, and their resting behaviour varied between study sites. This fine-scale spatial heterogeneity in Ae. aegypti abundance and behaviour could generate site-specific variation in human exposure and the effectiveness of indoor-based interventions. The trap-dependent nature of associations between Aedes abundance and local DENV incidence indicates further work is needed to identify robust entomological indicators of infection risk.
... (Biogents, Regensburg, Germany) were set outdoors in a radial pattern from a central location (Fig. 1c) with the traps arrayed in nine concentric annuli at 50-m intervals from the central point, with a maximum trap distance of 420 m [35,36]. Trap servicing began 24 h after release and was carried out daily, with catch bags and batteries replaced approximately every 24 h. ...
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Background The sterile insect technique (SIT), which involves area-wide inundative releases of sterile insects to suppress the reproduction of a target species, has proven to be an effective pest control method. The technique demands the continuous release of sterilized insects in quantities that ensure a high sterile male:wild male ratio for the suppression of the wild population over succeeding generations. Methods For these releases, it is important to determine several ecological and biological population parameters, including the longevity of the released males in the field, the dispersal of the released males and the wild pest population size. The Lee County Mosquito Control District initiated a study in a 47-ha portion of Captiva Island (Florida, USA), an island with a total area of 230 ha, to define biological SIT parameters for Aedes aegypti (L.), an invasive disease-vectoring mosquito known to be difficult to control due to a combination of daytime biting activity, use of cryptic breeding habitats that are difficult to target with conventional night-time ultra-low volume methods, and emerging resistance to commonly used insecticides. Another goal was to assess patterns of dispersal and survival for laboratory-reared sterile Ae. aegypti males released over time in the pilot site. These parameters will be used to evaluate the efficacy of a SIT suppression program for Ae. aegypti on Captiva Island. Results Over the course of seven mark-release-recapture studies using single- and multiple-point releases, 190,504 sterile marked males were released, for which the recapture rate was 1.5% over a mean period of 12 days. The mean distance traveled by sterile males of the local strain of Ae. aegypti that has colonized Captiva Island was 201.7 m from the release point, with an observed maximum traveled distance of 404.5 m. The released sterile mosquitoes had a probability of daily survival of 0.67 and an average life expectancy of ~ 2.46 days. Conclusions These data together with the population size estimate and sterile:wild ratio provide a solid basis for planning the SIT operational phase which is aimed at mosquito population suppression. Graphical abstract
... Local high-density areas may be identifiable through specific environmental factors to some extent (e.g., [4,[14][15][16]). Trap catches can be relatively stable across time in some areas [17], but this is not always the case with high mosquito counts for a period in one area being replaced by other local areas even within the same village or suburb. This type of local heterogeneity can influence effective treatments, including targeted chemical spraying [18], but also influences releases of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes aimed at population suppression [19]. ...
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Releases of Aedes aegypti carrying Wolbachia bacteria are known to suppress arbovirus transmission and reduce the incidence of vector-borne diseases. In planning for Wolbachia releases in the arid environment of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, we collected entomological data with ovitraps across a 7-month period in four locations. Herein, we show that mosquito presence in basements does not differ from that of non-basement areas of buildings. In modelling mosquito presence across the study sites, we found the spatial structure to be statistically significant in one of the four sites, while a significant spatial structure was found for egg production data across three of the four sites. The length scales of the spatial covariance functions fitted to the egg production data ranged from 143 m to 574 m, indicating that high productivity regions can be extensive in size. Rank-correlation analyses indicated that mosquito presence tended to persist from the dry to wet season, but that egg production ranks at locations could reverse. The data suggest that, in Jeddah, the quality of the local environment for breeding can vary over time. The data support the feasibility of dry season releases but with release numbers needing to be flexible depending on local rates of invasion.
... Of note too, median egg counts for individual ovitraps across the rainy season indicated that certain traps consistently attracted gravid Aedes females (Fig. 3). This phenomenon has previously been reported from other studies 41,42 , with the suggestion that microhabitat conditions around individual ovitraps likely plays an important role in egg www.nature.com/scientificreports/ laying behavior. ...
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The use of lure-and-kill, large-volume ovitraps to control Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus populations has shown promise across multiple designs that target gravid females (adulticidal) or larvae post-oviposition (larvicidal). Here we report on a pilot trial to deploy 10 L yeast-baited ovitraps at select sites in Curepe, Trinidad, West Indies during July to December, 2019. Oviposition rates among ovitraps placed in three Treatment sites were compared to a limited number of traps placed in three Control areas (no Aedes management performed), and three Vector areas (subjected to standard Ministry of Health, Insect Vector Control efforts). Our goal was to gain baseline information on efforts to saturate the Treatment sites with ovitraps within 20–25 m of each other and compare oviposition rates at these sites with background oviposition rates in Control and Vector Areas. Although yeast-baited ovitraps were highly attractive to gravid Aedes females, a primary limitation encountered within the Treatment sites was the inability to gain access to residential compounds for trap placement, primarily due to residents being absent during the day. This severely limited our intent to saturate these areas with ovitraps, indicating that future studies must include plans to account for these inaccessible zones during trap placement.
... Geostatistical methods, which integrate the actual locations of samples, have been used to investigate the spatial distribution of mosquitoes [12] and several mosquitotransmitted diseases, including malaria [13,14] and dengue fever [15,16]. Global and local indicators of spatial autocorrelation, such as Moran's I [17] or local indicators of spatial association (LISA) [18], have been applied to study pests, including mosquitoes [19,20]. ...
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Background Aedes albopictus is a vector of major arboviral diseases and a primary pest in tropical and temperate regions of China. In most cities of China, the current monitoring system for the spread of Ae. albopictus is based on the subdistrict scale and does not consider spatial distribution for analysis of species density. Thus, the system is not sufficiently accurate for epidemic investigations, especially in large cities. Methods This study used an improved surveillance program, with the mosquito oviposition trap (MOT) method, integrating the actual monitoring locations to investigate the temporal and spatial distribution of Ae. albopictus abundance in an urban area of Shanghai, China from 2018 to 2019. A total of 133 monitoring units were selected for surveillance of Ae. albopictus density in the study area, which was composed of 14 subdistricts. The vector abundance and spatial structure of Ae. albopictus were predicted using a binomial areal kriging model based on eight MOTs in each unit. Results were compared to the light trap (LT) method of the traditional monitoring scheme. Results A total of 8,192 MOTs were placed in the study area in 2018, and 7917 (96.6%) were retrieved, with a positive rate of 6.45%. In 2019, 22,715 (97.0%) of 23,408 MOTs were recovered, with a positive rate of 5.44%. Using the LT method, 273 (93.5%) and 312 (94.5%) adult female Ae. albopictus were gathered in 2018 and 2019, respectively. The Ae. albopictus populations increased slowly from May, reached a peak in July, and declined gradually from September. The MOT positivity index (MPI) showed significant positive spatial autocorrelation across the study area, whereas LT collections indicated a nonsignificant spatial autocorrelation. The MPI was suitable for spatial interpolation using the binomial areal kriging model and showed different hot spots in different years. Conclusions The improved surveillance system integrated with a geographical information system (GIS) can improve our understanding of the spatial and temporal distribution of Ae. albopictus in urban areas and provide a practical method for decision-makers to implement vector control and mosquito management. Graphical abstract
... [15,16]. Global and local indicators of spatial autocorrelation such as Moran's I [17] or LISA (local indicators of spatial association) [18] have been applied to study pests, including mosquitoes [19,20]. ...
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Background: Aedes albopictus is a well-recognized vector of major arboviral diseases and a primary pest in tropical and temperate regions of China. In the current monitoring system for the spread of Ae. albopictus based on the sub-district scale in most cities of China, spatial distribution has not been considered for the analysis of the density of species. So, the system is not accurate enough for epidemic investigations, especially in big cities like Shanghai. Methods: In this study, an improved surveillance program integrating the actual monitoring locations was used to investigate the temporal and spatial distribution of Ae. albopictus abundance in an urban area of Shanghai, China, from 2018 to 2019 by using the mosquito-oviposition trap (MOT) method. The study area of 14 sub-districts was divided into 133 grids. The vector abundance and spatial structure of Ae. Albopictus were predicted by the indicator Kriging based on eight MOTs in each grid. Meanwhile, the light trap (LT) method was also used for the analysis and compared with the MOT method. Results: A total of 8,192 MOTs were placed in the study area in 2018, and 7,917 (96.6%) were retrieved with a positive rate of 6.45%, while in 2019, 22,715 (97.0%) of 23,408 MOTs were recovered with a positive rate of 5.44%. When using the LT method, 273 (93.5%) and 312 (94.5%) adult female Ae. albopictus were gathered in 2018 and 2019, respectively. The Ae. albopictus populations in the urban area of Shanghai increased slowly from May, reached a peak in July, and declined gradually from September. The MOT positivity index (MPI) showed a significant positive spatial autocorrelation across the study area, while LT collections indicated a non-significant spatial autocorrelation. The MPI was suitable for spatial interpolation by using the indicator Kriging and showed different hotspots in different years. Conclusions: The improved surveillance system integrating geographic information can help improve our understanding of the spatial and temporal distribution of Ae. albopictus in urban areas of Shanghai and could provide a practical method for decision-makers to implement vector control and management of mosquitoes.
... Candidate explanations are the aggregation of productive, persistent aquatic habitats (e.g., septic tanks; Barrera et al. 2008) and the concentration of dispersing adults in certain areas of the neighborhoods (Maciel- de-Freitas et al. 2008de-Freitas et al. , 2010. A similar pattern was observed before in other neighborhoods in Puerto Rico using Biogents (BG; Regensburg, Germany) traps (Barrera 2011). Thus, trap microhabitat would be of secondary importance to other aspects of reliable sampling, such as using enough traps with a good coverage of the study area (Mackay et al. 2013). ...
Article
To improve detection and assessment of Aedes aegypti abundance, we investigated whether microhabitat factors of the location of autocidal gravid ovitraps (AGO traps) influenced captures of gravid females in 2 locations in southern Puerto Rico. One location had been under vector control for several years using mass AGO trapping (intervention site), where Ae. aegypti abundance was several times lower than in the other study site without mosquito control (nonintervention site). We observed 10 environmental factors describing trap microhabitat location, and monitored water volume and minimum, maximum, and average temperature in AGO traps. Air temperature, relative humidity, and rainfall were recorded at each site. We conducted a hot-spot analysis of AGO traps to understand whether trap captures were influenced by the local abundance of mosquitoes rather than or in addition to trap microhabitat factors. AGO traps were classified using a 2-step cluster analysis based on attributes of trap microhabitats, water temperature, and water volume. Captures of female Ae. aegypti in each cluster per site were compared between resulting clusters to determine whether trap microhabitat factors defining the clusters were associated with trap captures. Trap captures in both study sites were mostly correlated with captures in nearby traps regardless of trap microhabitat factors, possibly reflecting the influence of the spatial aggregation of mosquitoes coming from nearby aquatic habitats or the concentration of dispersing adults. These results indicated that AGO traps can be located at places that can be easily reached during periodic inspections, such as in front of houses, without much regard to local microhabitat conditions.
... In our clusters, 99% and 98% of pupal productivity came from conventionally used water storage containers [50]. Barrera reported similar results in Puerto Rico [51]. LaCon et al found different results in Peru [52]. ...
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Background Dengue vector entomological indices are widely used to monitor vector density and disease control activities. But the value of these indices as predictors of dengue infection is not established. We used data from the impact assessment of a trial of community mobilization for dengue prevention (Camino Verde) to examine the associations between vector indices and evidence of dengue infection and their value for predicting dengue infection levels. In 150 clusters in Mexico and Nicaragua, two entomological surveys, three months apart, allowed calculation of the mean Container Index, Breteau index, Pupae per Household Index, and Pupae per Container Index across the two surveys. We measured recent dengue virus infection in children, indicated by a doubling of dengue antibodies in paired saliva samples over the three-month period. We examined the associations between each of the vector indices and evidence of dengue infection at household level and at cluster level, accounting for trial intervention status. To examine the predictive value for dengue infection, we constructed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves at household and cluster level, considering the four vector indices as continuous variables, and calculated the positive and negative likelihood ratios for different levels of the indices. None of the vector indices was associated with recent dengue infection at household level. The Breteau Index was associated with recent infection at cluster level (Odds ratio 1.36, 95% confidence interval 1.14–1.61). The ROC curve confirmed the weak predictive value for dengue infection of the Breteau Index at cluster level. Other indices showed no predictive value. Conventional vector indices were not useful in predicting dengue infection in Mexico and Nicaragua. The findings are compatible with the idea of sources of infection outside the household which were tackled by community action in the Camino Verde trial.
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Aedes albopictus, also known as the Asian tiger mosquito, is an aggressive invasive mosquito species that transmits parasites that cause several major human diseases such as dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika. Its recent establishment in many European countries and the reported autochthonous cases of Aedes-transmitted arboviral diseases highlight the importance of effective surveillance programs to plan and implement efficient mosquito-control interventions. Aedes albopictus invaded the Greek island of Crete in 2014 and rapidly spread throughout; however, there are no comprehensive population-related data yet available. Our study focused on spatial and temporal dynamics of Ae. albopictus populations in rural and agricultural areas in Chania (western part of the Crete Island). An oviposition surveillance network, consisting of 51 ovitraps, was established in 2017 and systematically inspected for 2 years. Thirty ovitraps were established in rural areas and 21 in the surrounding agricultural areas. Eggs were collected weekly and transferred to the laboratory for counting and assessment of hatching rates. The spatial and temporal egg distribution was assessed by using geographical information systems and spatial statistical analysis tools. Kernel density and hot spot analysis were employed to identify clusters of high populations of eggs. Oviposition activity (eggs in traps) was recorded during April–May and December (of both years), while the maximum egg-laying rates were observed during September–October. The proportion of traps with eggs was similar between rural and agricultural areas, while the higher number of eggs was recorded in rural compared to agricultural areas during 2017. Egg hatch rates were high (>90%) until the end of September. The proportion of diapausing non-hatched eggs rapidly increased at the end of November. All hatched larvae were identified as Ae. Albopictus, indicating a negative effect of the invasion on the population of the local species Ae. cretinus. This was a systematic attempt to monitor the seasonal and spatial patterns of the Asian tiger mosquito in the island of Crete, the southernmost area of Europe, and a study in Europe that assessed temporal and spatial dynamics of Ae. albopictus soon after its invasion and establishment in an area.
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Objectives Understanding the intra‐urban spatial dynamics of Aedes aegypti and dengue transmission is important to effectively guide vector control. Ovitraps are a sensitive, cost‐effective vector surveillance tool, yet few longitudinal studies have evaluated ovitrap indices and dengue occurrence. We aimed to assess the spatial patterns of dengue incidence and Ae. aegypti ovitrap positivity index (OPI) over time and to examine the spatial relationship between these two variables. Methods This study used 12 years (2007–2018) of dengue case records and biweekly Ae. aegypti ovitrap data in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. We aggregated data by year and health centre catchment area (n = 152) and used both univariate and bivariate global Moran’s I statistic and LISA to evaluate spatial clustering. Results Annual dengue incidence ranged from 18 to 6262/100 000 residents and displayed spatial autocorrelation in 10/12 years, with shifting areas of high incidence. Annual OPI ranged from 35.7 to 47.6% and was clustered in all study years, but unlike dengue had consistent spatial patterns over time. Bivariate analysis found both positive (6/12 years) and negative (1/12 years) spatial associations between the two variables. Conclusions Low detected presence of Ae. aegypti was not a limiting factor in dengue transmission. However, stable spatial distribution of OPI suggests that certain areas may have persistent breeding sites. Future research should identify factors related to persistent Ae. aegypti hotspots to better guide vector management. Vector control efforts should be paired with additional data on population immunity, circulating serotypes and urban factors to better predict and control outbreaks.
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In the 90´s, there was a wide use of the geographic information systems (GIS)in the health care. On the other hand, dengue reemerged with remarkable intensity in this period, so the application of GIS to the study of dengue increased. The present research work is aimed at identifying the spatial differentiation of vulnerability to the dengue occurrence in Playa municipality in the City of Havana and at comparing the identified strata with the spatiality of notified cases during the outbreak reported in 2000. A digital database scaled 1:25 000 was designed, which defined the blocks as polygons and those associated to transmission macrofactors and microfactors and to the introduction of virus as attributes. For the spatial analyses, software Mapinfo 5.0, Sig Epi 2000 and SPSS 8.0 were used. Three groups of blocks were determined according to the similarities in the variable values, classified in spatial strata of vulnerability to transmission as slightly, moderately and highly vulnerable. The soundness of findings resulting from the spatiality of notified cases is proved
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Present research describes the establishment of dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) in Venezuela (1989), and dengue dynamics in Maracay city from 1993 and 2001. We also studied the relationships between DHF and weather variables, and explored the relationships between the disease and indicators of public services and Aedes aegypti pre-adult (House, Breteau Index) and adult (resting) parameters in neighbourhoods with no (apparent) dengue, low, and high dengue incidence/persistence. Our analysis suggests that DHF emerged and got established in Venezuela as a result of a combination of the introduction of new, more pathogenic strains of dengue, high and widespread adult mosquito populations resulting from inadequate public services, lack of effective vector control, and dengue hyperendemicity. DF and DHF were well correlated with rainfall and humidity; however, transmission continued during the distinct dry seasons, when breeding places generated by water-storing devices produced high adult densities of Aedes aegypti. DF and DHF were associated with the frequency and length of water-supply interruptions, mosquito adults per room, human population density, neighbourhood area, and with the persistence or history of dengue transmission in the locality. Even low dengue/persistence neighbourhoods showed deficiencies in public services and elevated adult mosquito densities, showing that the number of mosquitoes is not a limiting factor for dengue transmission in most of Maracay city.
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It generally is assumed that the daily probability of survival of wild adult mosquitoes is independent of age. To test this assumption we conducted mark-release-recapture studies in Puerto Rico and Thailand to determine if estimated daily survival rates between two different age cohorts of the dengue vector Aedes aegypti (L.) were the same. Survivorship was estimated with nonlinear regression analysis using bootstrapping to obtain estimates of errors. Initial recapture success of the younger cohort was greater than the older cohort at both locations. Our analysis revealed a significantly greater survival rate for the younger cohort of females in Puerto Rico, and no significant differences between age cohorts in Thailand. For comparison, a traditional approach for analyzing these type of data, linear regression of log-transformed captures over time (exponential model), was used to calculate the probability of daily survival based on slopes of linear regression lines for recaptured mosquitoes. With this method, the estimated daily survival rate of older females (13-23 d old) was significantly greater than survival of younger ones (3-13 d old) in Puerto Rico and Thailand. In addition, short-range movement of mosquitoes was observed in Puerto Rico; maximum dispersal distance detected was 79 m. Survival rates of adult Ae. aegypti may be age-dependent and nonlinear regression analysis is a sensitive approach for comparing patterns of mosquito survival based on mark, single release, multiple recapture data.
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In Queensland, Australia, in response to isolated cases of dengue infection, larval control of the vector Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) is targeted at breeding sites within 200 m of a case and interior spraying with a pyrethroid adulticide is targeted at premises within 100 m. To ascertain whether these limits are appropriate, we conducted a mark-release-recapture study to measure the dispersal of female Ae. aegypti in the city of Cairns where transmission occurs. Female mosquitoes reared from wild collected eggs were differentially marked with fluorescent dust depending on whether they were to be released blood-fed or non-blood-fed, and a total of 1,948 females was released. A total of 132 sticky ovitraps was set at 64 premises within a 200 m radius and collections of trapped adults were made at 5-15 days post-release. Sixty-seven females (3.4%) were recaptured, with the furthest being caught 200 m from the release point, and the mean distance travelled was 78 m. Overall, 23.1% of the recaptures outside the release site were taken beyond 100 m by day 15. Dispersal was comparable for both blood-fed and non-blood-fed releases. There was a significant tendency for dispersal to be in a north-westerly direction, probably because of the presence of numerous containers and heavy shading by trees in this direction and a busy road to the south of the release point that appeared to inhibit dispersal. The results suggest that adulticiding may have to be extended beyond 100 m if more than 8 days have elapsed since female Ae. aegypti could have fed upon a viraemic dengue case. The study also shows that dispersal is not random, and that it may be possible to maximize vector control by taking into account environmental factors that affect the direction of female mosquito flight.
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(1) An adult population of Aedes aegypti was studied in the residential compound of a Buddhist temple, Wat Samphaya, in Bangkok. The objectives of the study were to measure possible changes in population size, survival rate and movement throughout the year in order to test the hypothesis that fluctuations in these parameters accounted for the resurgence of A. aegypti-transmitted dengue haemorrhagic fever during the wet season. Concurrent studies were made of larval populations both in Wat Samphaya and elsewhere in and around Bangkok. (2) Mark-release-recapture techniques were used for estimating the adult population parameters. Each wild-caught mosquito before release was etherized and given a unique number by marking with spots of quick-drying paint on the wings and/or thorax. (3) A comparison of the amount of blood in the stomach and the ovarian condition of individual females recaptured on more than one occasion showed little correlation between the feeding pattern and ovarian development. The presence of fresh blood in a proportion of gravid and semi-gravid females made it impractical to score their ovarian stage unequivocably without dissection. Consequently, it proved impossible to measure the average length of the gonotrophic cycle in the wild population. (4) Dispersal of individual mosquitoes was studied by observing the distance each had moved between release and subsequent recapture. Both sexes tended to move further in the first 24-h period after release than later, perhaps because of the effects of handling. There was no evidence of an effect of the time of the year on the amount of movement, nor was there any difference in this respect between the sexes. Although it was found that males moved more than females in the first 24 h, the females lived longer and therefore ultimately moved at least as far. It was estimated that only about 40% of individuals released at random in the study area (94 X 56 m) remained there after 24 h. Taking into account this loss, the mean distance moved by mosquitoes in 24 h was estimated to be 37 m. Despite this movement, the mosquitoes were not randomly distributed among the rooms, probably owing to some rooms being more attractive than others rather than to a non-random distribution of breeding places. (5) The 24-h survival rate using the model developed by Fisher & Ford (1947), averaged over 12 months, was 0.70 for males and 0.81 for females. There was no significant difference in the values between months but there was between the sexes. A population model developed to take into account movement in and out of the study area gave mean rates of 0.72 for males and 0.84 for females, again with no difference between months but a significant difference between sexes. The estimates of survival rate are too low because of permanent emigration of some marked insects. An adjusted rate obtained from an estimate of the number of new mosquitoes emerging in the study area was 0.88 for both sexes combined, giving an expectation of life of 8.5 days. (6) Estimates of population size were obtained using the models of Fisher & Ford and of Jolly (1965) as well as the model which took into account movement. There was no significant difference in size between the male and female populations, but there was some evidence that population size may change from time to time. The changes were not correlated in any simple way with temperature or rainfall and there was no striking increase in population size in the wet season. The estimate of the mean daily population over the year, corrected for movement, was 1120, whilst that using the Jolly model was 1093. (7) It is suggested that the normal procedure of fogging with insecticide within a circle of radius 60 m, the centre being a house where a case of dengue haemorrhagic fever occurred, is not likely to kill more than 50% of infected mosquitoes. (8) The study indicates that the fluctuations in the amount of movement, the expectation of life and the population size throughout the year are inadequate to account for changes in the incidence of dengue haemorrhagic fever.
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