Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2011 Mar;84(3):489-96.
doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.2011.10-0654.

Mosquito infestation and dengue virus infection in Aedes aegypti females in schools in Merida, Mexico

Affiliations

Mosquito infestation and dengue virus infection in Aedes aegypti females in schools in Merida, Mexico

Julián E García-Rejón et al. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2011 Mar.

Abstract

We determined abundance of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and presence of dengue virus (DENV) in females collected from schools in Mérida, México, during 2008 and 2009. Backpack aspiration from 24 schools produced 468 females of Ae. aegypti and 1,676 females of another human biter, Culex quinquefasciatus. Ae. aegypti females were collected most commonly from classrooms followed by offices and bathrooms. Of these females, 24.7% were freshly fed. Examination of 118 pools of Ae. aegypti females (total of 415 females) for presence of DENV RNA produced 19 positive pools (16.1%). DENV-infected pools were detected from 11 (45.8%) of 24 schools and came from different room types, including classrooms, offices, and bathrooms. The overall rate of DENV infection per 100 Ae. aegypti females was 4.8. We conclude that schools in Mérida present a risk environment for students, teachers, and other personnel to be exposed to mosquitoes and bites of DENV-infected Ae. aegypti females.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Percentages of Ae. aegypti females or males collected from different environments in Mérida schools during 2008 and 2009. Numbers above the bars indicate the total number collected by sex and environment.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Percentages of Cx. quinquefasciatus females or males collected from different environments in Mérida schools during 2008 and 2009. Numbers above the bars indicate the total number collected by sex and environment.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Percentages of tested pools of Ae. aegypti females with dengue virus RNA from different environments in Mérida schools during 2008 and 2009. Numbers above the bars indicate numbers of positive pools per total tested pools.

References

    1. Halstead SB. Dengue virus—mosquito interactions. Annu Rev Entomol. 2008;53:273–291. - PubMed
    1. Focks DA, Alexander N. A Multi-Country Study on the Methodology for Surveys of Aedes Aegypti Pupal Productivity: Findings and Recommendations. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2006.
    1. Ponlawat A, Harrington LC. Blood feeding patterns of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in Thailand. J Med Entomol. 2005;42:844–849. - PubMed
    1. Scott TW, Chow E, Strickman D, Kittayapong P, Wirtz RA, Lorenz LH, Edman JD. Blood-feeding patterns of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) collected in a rural Thai village. J Med Entomol. 1993;30:922–927. - PubMed
    1. Scott TW, Morrison AC, Lorenz LH, Clark GG, Strickman D, Kittayapong P, Zhou H, Edman JD. Longitudinal studies of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) in Thailand and Puerto Rico: population dynamics. J Med Entomol. 2000;37:77–88. - PubMed

Publication types