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
. 2022 Jul;69(4):e1160-e1171.
doi: 10.1111/tbed.14404. Epub 2021 Dec 10.

Global potential distribution of three underappreciated arboviruses vectors (Aedes japonicus, Aedes vexans and Aedes vittatus) under current and future climate conditions

Abdelkrim Outammassine  1 , Said Zouhair  1   2 , Souad Loqman  1
Affiliations

Global potential distribution of three underappreciated arboviruses vectors (Aedes japonicus, Aedes vexans and Aedes vittatus) under current and future climate conditions

Abdelkrim Outammassine et al. Transbound Emerg Dis. 2022 Jul.

Abstract

Arboviruses (arthropod-borne viruses) are expanding their geographic range, posing significant health threats to millions of people worldwide. This expansion is associated with efficient and suitable vector availability. Apart from the well-known Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus, other Aedes species may potentially promote the geographic spread of arboviruses because these viruses have similar vector requirements. Aedes japonicus, Ae. vexans and Ae. vittatus are a growing concern, given their potential and known vector competence for several arboviruses including dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. In the present study, we developed detailed maps of their global potential distributions under both current and future (2050) climate conditions, using an ecological niche modeling approach (Maxent). Under present-day conditions, Ae. japonicus and Ae. vexans have suitable areas in the northeastern United States, across Europe and in southeastern China, whereas the tropical regions of South America, Africa and Asia are more suitable for Ae. vittatus. Future scenarios anticipated range changes for the three species, with each expected to expand into new areas that are currently not suitable. By 2050, Ae. japonicus will have a broader potential distribution across much of Europe, the United States, western Russia and central Asia. Aedes vexans may be able to expand its range, especially in Libya, Egypt and southern Australia. For Ae. vittatus, future projections indicated areas at risk in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. As such, these species deserve as much attention as Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus when processing arboviruses risk assessments and our findings may help to better understand the potential distribution of each species.

Keywords: Aedes japonicus; Aedes vexans; Aedes vittatus; Ecological niche modeling; Future; Global Distribution; Present.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

REFERENCES

    1. Abbo, S. R., Visser, T. M., Wang, H., Göertz, G. P., Fros, J. J., Abma-Henkens, M. H. C., Geertsema, C., Vogels, C. B. F., Koopmans, M. P. G., Reusken, C. B. E. M., Hall-Mendelin, S., Hall, R. A., Van Oers, M. M., Koenraadt, C. J. M., & Pijlman, G. P. (2020). The invasive Asian bush mosquito Aedes japonicus found in the Netherlands can experimentally transmit Zika virus and Usutu virus. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 14(4), e0008217.
    1. Alarcón-Elbal, P. M., Rodríguez-Sosa, M. A., Newman, B. C., & Sutton, W. B. (2020). The first record of Aedes vittatus (Diptera: Culicidae) in the Dominican Republic: Public health implications of a potential invasive mosquito species in the Americas. Journal of Medical Entomology, 57(6), 2016-2021.
    1. Andreadis, T. G., & Wolfe, R. J. (2010). Evidence for reduction of native mosquitoes with increased expansion of invasive Ochlerotatus japonicus japonicus (Diptera: Culicidae) in the northeastern United States. Journal of Medical Entomology, 47(1), 43-52.
    1. Bevins, S. N. (2007). Establishment and abundance of a recently introduced mosquito species Ochlerotatus japonicus (Diptera: Culicidae) in the Southern Appalachians, USA. Journal of Medical Entomology, 44(6), 945-952.
    1. Bhatt, S., Gething, P. W., Brady, O. J., Messina, J. P., Farlow, A. W., Moyes, C. L., Drake, J. M., Brownstein, J. S., Hoen, A. G., Sankoh, O., Myers, M. F., George, D. B., Jaenisch, T., Wint, G. R. W., Simmons, C. P., Scott, T. W., Farrar, J. J., & Hay, S. I. (2013). The global distribution and burden of dengue. Nature, 496(7446), 504-507.