Aedes albopictus Infestation -- United States, Brazil
United States. In August 1985, an established infestation of
Aedes albopictus, an exotic mosquito species, was discovered in
Houston (Harris County), Texas (1,2). In 1986, with the advent of
warm weather and spring rainfall, efforts were begun to determine
the
extent of this infestation. During April and May, Ae. albopictus
was
found in counties adjacent to Houston; in New Orleans, Louisiana,
and
surrounding parishes; and in Memphis, Tennessee. In June and early
July, the mosquito was reported from Gulfport, Mississippi, and
Jacksonville, Florida.
A systematic survey of 41 cities and towns in six southern
states
was conducted in July 1986. Because of the propensity of Ae.
albopictus to oviposit in discarded tires containing rainwater,
sites
selected for survey were used-tire dumps, dealers, and recappers.
Ae.
albopictus was found to be widely disseminated in the southern
United
States but to have a spotty and discontinuous distribution (Figure
1). In many sites, Ae. albopictus was abundant and aggressively
biting humans. The presence of Ae. aegypti in an area did not
appear
to retard the ingress of Ae. albopictus; Ae. albopictus had
replaced
Ae. aegypti in many locations.
The extent of Ae. albopictus distribution in the United States
remains incompletely known. Efforts are under way to extend
surveillance to other states, including those in the north-central
United States where California encephalitis group viruses are
endemic. The Houston population of Ae. albopictus has been shown
in
the laboratory to resemble northern Asian populations that are
capable
of diapause, i.e., cessation of egg-hatching following exposure of
pupae to short day-length intervals. This indicates that Ae.
albopictus would be capable of overwinter survival in northern
latitudes.
Brazil. Ae. albopictus has been found in Rio de Janeiro and in
two neighboring states, Espirito Santo and Minas Gerais.
Identification of the species was confirmed by entomologists from
the
Oswaldo Cruz Institute and Pan American Health Organization. At
present, there is no indication that Ae. albopictus is involved in
virus transmission in Brazil.
Reported by GB Craig, PhD, Notre Dame University, Notre Dame,
Indiana;
D Womeldorf, J Walsh, Vector Surveillance and Control Br,
California
Dept of Health Svcs; D Sykes, Gulfport Mosquito Control District, E
Bowles, Mississippi State Dept of Health; P Scheppf, A Lowe,
Ouachita
Mosquito Control District, C Greer, Rapides Parish Health Dept, GC
Clement, M Ponder, Caddo Parish Mosquito Control, C Anderson, L
Amberg, Louisiana Dept of Health and Human Resources; M Nelms, Dade
County Health Dept, AN Davis, Broward County Mosquito Control, R
Day,
Palm Beach County Mosquito Control, J Gorman, J Ward, Hillsborough
County Mosquito Control, J Shinholser, Pinellas County
Anti-Mosquito
District, G Alexander, Orange County Mosquito Control District, F
Evans, St. Lucie County Mosquito Control District, L Scherer,
Martin
County Dept of Environmental Svcs, J Robinson, W. Pascou County
Mosquito Control District, JB Hunt, Osceola County Dept of
Environmental Svcs, B Eddins, Escambia County Mosquito Control, S
Goodwin, Leon County Health Dept, P Simmonds, B Peacock,
Jacksonville
Health Dept, J Mulrennan, PhD, Office of Entomology, Florida Dept
of
Health and Rehabilitative Svcs; J Heusel, Chatham County Mosquito
Control District, D Bouge, R Patterson, Fulton County Health Dept,
RK
Sikes, DVM, State Epidemiologist, Georgia Dept of Human Resources;
J
Sikes, Tuscaloosa County Health Dept, B Houck, Madison County
Health
Dept, G Bennett, Houston County Health Dept, P Pate, J Hammick,
Jefferson County Health Dept, CF Erdman, Mobile County Health Dept,
C
Cork, JT Collier, Alabama State Dept of Public Health; Ministry of
Health, Brasilia, Brazil; Pan American Health Organization,
Washington, DC; Div of Parasitic Diseases, Div of Vector-Borne
Viral
Diseases, Center for Infectious Diseases, CDC.
Editorial Note
Editorial Note: Ae. albopictus, the Asian "tiger mosquito," has
been
repeatedly implicated in epidemic dengue and dengue hemorrhagic
fever
transmission in Asia (3,4). Laboratory studies have shown it to be
a
more efficient vector of dengue virus than Ae. aegypti (5) and a
competent vector of California encephalitis group viruses (6),
yellow
fever virus (7), epidemic polyarthritis (Ross River) virus (8), and
other agents. Ae. albopictus has not been incriminated in the
spread
of any viral disease in the Americas, but it represents a public
health concern because of its potential to infest areas where
dengue,
yellow fever, or pathogenic California group viruses are present
and,
once introduced into such areas, to spread these viruses into areas
previously free of them.
The discontinous distribution of Ae. albopictus in the southern
United States found during the recent survey suggests the
infestation
may be contained through programs of surveillance, removal of
breeding
sites (especially tires), interruption of interstate dispersal of
tires, and judicious use of insecticides in breeding sites.
Studies
are presently under way at CDC in collaboration with state and
local
agencies to determine the feasibility of these approaches.
Critical
features of the program include delineation of the full
distribution
of Ae. albopictus, determination of the vector's routes of spread
from
infested areas, and definition of the biologic attributes of the
mosquito that relate to control.
The recent report that Ae. albopictus is established in Brazil
is
especially relevant because of the occurrence of a dengue type 1
epidemic in Rio de Janeiro and several other locations. Although
evidence indicates that Ae. aegypti was the principal epidemic
vector,
it will now be important to determine the possible contribution of
Ae.
albopictus to dengue transmission. In addition, since Ae.
albopictus
is capable of breeding in tree holes and similar woodland habitats,
as
well as in urban environments, it may potentially serve as a link
between jungle yellow fever and urban transmission of this virus in
Brazil.
References
Beams, BF. Analysis of mosquito control agency public
education
programs in the United States. J Am Mosq Control Assoc
1986;1:212-9.
Metselaar D, Grainger CR, Oei KG, et al. An outbreak of type 2
dengue fever in the Seychelles, probably transmitted by Aedes
albopictus (Skuse). Bull WHO 1980;58:937-43.
Jumali, Sunarto, Gubler DJ, Nalim S, Eram S, Sulianti Saroso J.
Epidemic dengue hemorrhagic fever in rural Indonesia. III.
Entomological studies. Am J Trop Med Hyg 1979;28:717-24.
Rosen L, Roseboom LE, Gubler DJ, Lien JC, Chaniotis BN.
Comparative susceptibility of mosquito species and strains to
oral
and parenteral infection with dengue and Japanese encephalitis
viruses. Am J Trop Med Hyg 1985;34:603-15.
Shroyer DA. Transovarial maintenance of San Angelo virus in
sequential generations of Aedes albopictus. Am J Trop Med Hyg
1986;35:408-17.
Dinger JE, Schuffner WAP, Snijders EP, Swellengrebel NH.
Onderzoek over gele koorts in Nederland (derde mededeeling).
Nederl Tjschr v Geneesk 1929;73:5982-91.
CDC. Unpublished data, 1986.
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