DISPERSAL OF THE DENGUE VECTOR AEDES AEGYPTI WITHIN AND BETWEEN RURAL COMMUNITIES

TLDR

Knowledge of mosquito dispersal is critical for vector‑borne disease control and prevention strategies and for understanding population structure and pathogen dissemination. The study determined Aedes aegypti flight range and dispersal patterns from 21 mark‑release‑recapture experiments conducted over 11 years (1991‑2002) in Puerto Rico and Thailand. Dispersal was compared by release location, sex, age, season, and village. Most mosquitoes were captured at or near their release house, inter‑village movement was rare (max 512 m), average dispersal distances were similar across sexes, release location, and indoor/outdoor settings, and movement was unaffected by season or age but varied by village, indicating that adult Ae.

Abstract

Knowledge of mosquito dispersal is critical for vector-borne disease control and prevention strategies and for understanding population structure and pathogen dissemination. We determined Aedes aegypti flight range and dispersal patterns from 21 mark-release-recapture experiments conducted over 11 years (1991-2002) in Puerto Rico and Thailand. Dispersal was compared by release location, sex, age, season, and village. For all experiments, the majority of mosquitoes were collected from their release house or adjacent house. Inter-village movement was detected rarely, with a few mosquitoes moving a maximum of 512 meters from one Thai village to the next. Average dispersal distances were similar for males and females and females released indoors versus outdoors. The movement of Ae. aegypti was not influenced by season or age, but differed by village. Results demonstrate that adult Ae. aegypti disperse relatively short distances, suggesting that people rather than mosquitoes are the primary mode of dengue virus dissemination within and among communities.