<i>Aedes albopictus</i> in northeast Mexico: An update on adult distribution and first report of parasitism by <i>Ascogregarina taiwanensis</i>
<b>Background & objectives:</b> <i>Aedes albopictus</i> has been known as efficient vector of dengue in Asian countries and its wide displacement of <i>Ae. aegypti</i> has been documented in many parts of the world. The present survey was carried out to update...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2013-08-01
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| Series: | Journal of Vector Borne Diseases |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mrcindia.org/journal/issues/503202.pdf |
| Summary: | <b>Background & objectives:</b> <i>Aedes albopictus</i> has been known as efficient vector of dengue in Asian countries and its wide displacement of <i>Ae. aegypti</i> has been documented in many parts of the world. The present survey was carried out to update the distribution of <i>Ae. albopictus</i> in northeast Mexico and to report the first record of parasitism of mosquitoes by <i>Ascogregarina taiwanensis</i> in Mexico.
<b>Methods:</b> Human landing collections were conducted in the month of May every year between 2007 and 2009 across the three states, Nuevo Leon (NL), Tamaulipas and Coahuila in northeast Mexico. Six human bait collections were also organized at the cemetery of Gomez Farias (GF), a village in southern Tamaulipas during the rainy and dry seasons in 2010. <i>Aedes albopictus</i> caught in 2010 were dissected for parasitic protozoan gregarines.
<b>Results:</b> The results of human landing collections carried out during 2007-10 across the three states of northeast zone of Mexico revealed that <i>Ae. albopictus</i> is invading along the route between Monterrey City in NL and Tampico, Tamaulipas, but not into the arid state of Coahuila. <i>Aedes albopictus</i> was recorded in nine new municipalities in addition to the 15 municipalities reported before 2005. Furthermore, six human-bait collections performed during the dry and rainy seasons in 2010 at the cemetery of GF suggest the exclusion of <i>Ae. aegypti</i> on that site. Dominance was shared by <i>Ae. quadrivittatus</i>, another container-inhabitant but indigenous species, and <i>Ae. albopictus</i> during the dry and rainy seasons, respectively. The results of dissection of the mosquitoes for gregarines revealed the parasitism of <i>Ae. albopictus</i> by <i>A. taiwanensis</i>.
<b>Interpretation & conclusion:</b> The results of this study showed that <i>Ae. albopictus</i> has spread to all the municipalities in the northeastern Mexico except the arid area and reported the first record of parasitic protozoan <i>A. taiwanensis</i> in Mexico. We recommend further studies on larval and adult populations of natural container-occupant mosquitoes in northeastern Mexico in order to have a better documentation of the impact of <i>Ae. albopictus</i> upon the indigenous species community, and its epidemiological role in dengue transmission. |
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| ISSN: | 0972-9062 0972-9062 |