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. 2014 Apr 21;9(4):e95606.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0095606. eCollection 2014.

Winter refuge for Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquitoes in Hanoi during Winter

Takashi Tsunoda  1 , Tran Chi Cuong  2 , Tran Duc Dong  2 , Nguyen Thi Yen  2 , Nguyen Hoang Le  2 , Tran Vu Phong  2 , Noboru Minakawa  1
Affiliations

Winter refuge for Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquitoes in Hanoi during Winter

Takashi Tsunoda et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Dengue occurs throughout the year in Hanoi, Vietnam, despite winter low temperatures <10°C. During July 2010 to March 2012, we surveyed monthly for Aedes larvae and pupae in 120 houses in 8 Hanoi districts. Aedes albopictus preferred discarded containers in summer and pupal density drastically decreased in winter. Aedes aegypti preferred concrete tanks and this preference increased in winter. Even in winter, the lowest water temperature found in concrete tanks was >14°C, exceeding the developmental zero point of Ae. aegypti. Although jars, drums and concrete tanks were the dominant containers previously (1994-97) in Hanoi, currently the percentage of residences with concrete tanks was still high while jars and drums were quite low. Our study showed that concrete tanks with broken lids allowing mosquitoes access were important winter refuge for Ae. aegypti. We also indicate a concern about concrete tanks serving as foci for Ae. aegypti to expand their distribution in cooler regions.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Typical water tanks in Hanoi.
A) Roof-top metal tank. B) Underground concrete tank. C) Above-ground concrete tank.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Seasonal occurrence of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus in Hanoi from July 2010 to March 2012.
Error bars indicate standard error.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Multiple correspondence analysis of mosquito species, season, and container type.
Mosquito species (Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus), season (summer and winter), and container type (bucket, concrete tank, discarded container, drum, jar, other containers, tire, toilet concrete tank, and flower vase). Mos. aeg; Ae. aegypti, Mos. albo; Ae. albopictus, C.; Container, CT; concrete tank, Discard; discarded container, Other; other containers, S; Summer, TCT; toilet concrete tank, W; Winter.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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