Presence of Aedes (Gymnometopa) mediovittatus in Cuba: a new factor to be considered in the national campaign to eradicate dengue.
To assess the presence of the potential dengue vector Aedes mediovittatus relative to other mosquito species, data were examined from 44,199 larvitraps operating between January 1984 and December 1987 in the town of Mariel, Cuba. Of 1,068 larvitraps containing mosquitoes, 626 (58.6%) were positive for Ae. mediovittatus. Its relative presence increased each year except 1986, going from 37.9% of the positive traps in 1984 to 70.2% in 1987. More larvitraps were positive for Ae. mediovittatus than for Culex quinquefasciatus, which typically dominated breeding sites at the end of the intensive phase of the national campaign against Ae. aegypti in the early 1980s. The results appear to reflect Ae. mediovittatus' gradual infiltration into areas covered by the campaign, a factor that may need to be considered in efforts to control dengue in the Americas.
Fuentes
O
O
Pedro Kourí Institute of Tropical Medicine, Havana, Cuba.
López
R
R
Marquetti
M C
MC
Lugo
J
J
D000330:Aedes; D000818:Animals; D003462:Cuba; D003715:Dengue / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D009313:National Health Programs