title: Satellite-derived NDVI, LST, and climatic factors driving the distribution and abundance of Anopheles mosquitoes in a former malarious area in northwest Argentina.
abstract: Distribution and abundance of disease vectors are directly related to climatic conditions and environmental changes. Remote sensing data have been used for monitoring environmental conditions influencing spatial patterns of vector-borne diseases. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Land Surface Temperature (LST) obtained from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and climatic factors (temperature, humidity, wind velocity, and accumulated rainfall) on the distribution and abundance of Anopheles species in northwestern Argentina using Poisson regression analyses. Samples were collected from December, 2001 to December, 2005 at three localities, Aguas Blancas, El Oculto and San Ramón de la Nueva Orán. We collected 11,206 adult Anopheles species, with the major abundance observed at El Oculto (59.11%), followed by Aguas Blancas (22.10%) and San Ramón de la Nueva Orán (18.79%). Anopheles pseudopunctipennis was the most abundant species at El Oculto, Anopheles argyritarsis predominated in Aguas Blancas, and Anopheles strodei in San Ramón de la Nueva Orán. Samples were collected throughout the sampling period, with the highest peaks during the spring seasons. LST and mean temperature appear to be the most important variables determining the distribution patterns and major abundance of An. pseudopunctipennis and An. argyritarsis within malarious areas.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Superior de Entomología "Dr. Abraham Willink", Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Miguel Lillo 205, CP 4000 Tucumán, Argentina. juliadantur@yahoo.com.ar.|IAMRA, Universidad Nacional de Chilecito, 9 de Julio 22, CP 5360 Chilecito, La Rioja, Argentina. juliadantur@yahoo.com.ar.
authors.forename: María Julia
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Dantur Juri
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIBYT)-CONICET and Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones Entomológicas de Córdoba (CIEC), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611, CP 5016, Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: Elizabet
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Estallo
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIBYT)-CONICET and Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones Entomológicas de Córdoba (CIEC), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611, CP 5016, Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Almirón
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Bioestadística, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Lamadrid 875, CP 4000 Tucumán, Argentina.
authors.forename: Mirta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Santana
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIBYT)-CONICET and Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones Entomológicas de Córdoba (CIEC), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611, CP 5016, Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sartor
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Altos Estudios Espaciales Mario Gulich, Centro Espacial Teófilo Tabanera, CP 5187 Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lamfri
authors.affiliation: Coordinación Nacional de Control de Vectores, Ministerio de Salud de la Nación, Güemes 125, CP 4400 Salta, Argentina.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zaidenberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000469:parasitology / Q000502:physiology*; D001118:Argentina; D002980:Climate; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D007303:Insect Vectors; D008288:Malaria / Q000635:transmission; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012044:Regression Analysis; D058998:Remote Sensing Technology; D012621:Seasons; D013696:Temperature
keywords: Anopheles pseudopunctipennis; Normalized difference vegetation index; climatic factors; land surface temperature; malaria