Mosquito Vector Production across Socio-Economic Divides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

We investigated the role of socio-economic factors in the proliferation of mosquito vectors in two adjacent but socio-economically contrasting neighborhoods in Baton Rouge, LA, USA. We surveyed mosquito larvae habitat, mosquito larvae, and adult mosquitoes during the summer of 2020. We also evaluated the number of requests for mosquito abatement services in the years preceding the study for each area. While we did not find differences in terms of the most abundant species, Culex quinquefasicatus (F1,30 = 0.329, p = 0.57), we did find a higher abundance of mosquito habitats, particularly discarded tires, as well as larvae (z = 13.83, p < 0.001) and adults (F1,30 = 4.207, p = 0.049) of the species Aedes albopictus in the low-income neighborhood. In contrast, mosquito abatement requests were significantly higher in the high socio-economic neighborhood (z = -8.561, p < 0.001). This study shows how factors such as adjudicated properties, discarded tires and pest abatement requests can influence the abundance of mosquito vectors, disproportionately affecting low-income groups. This study also highlights how Aedes spp. may be better indicators than Culex spp. of socio-economic differences between nearby neighborhoods, due to their short flight range and habitat preferences, and this should be considered in future studies attempting to detect such disparities in the future.

An Efficient Alternative to the CDC Gravid Trap for Southern House Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) Surveillance.

West Nile virus (WNV) is the most prevalent arbovirus found throughout the United States. Surveillance of surface breeding Culex vectors involved in WNV transmission is primarily conducted using CDC Gravid traps. However, anecdotal claims from mosquito abatement districts in Louisiana assert that other trap types may be more suited to WNV surveillance. To test the validity of these assertions, we conducted a series of trapping trials and WNV surveillance over 3 yr to compare the efficacy of multiple trap types. First, we compared the CDC Gravid trap, CO2-baited New Standard Miniature Blacklight traps, and CO2-baited CDC light traps with either an incandescent light, a red light, or no light. We found that the CDC Gravid trap and CO2-baited no-light CDC Light trap collected the most mosquitoes. Second, we conducted additional, long-term trapping and WNV surveillance to compare these two trap types. We found that CO2-baited no-light CDC traps collected more of the local WNV vector, Culex quinquefasciatus (Say, Diptera, Culicidae), and detected WNV with greater sensitivity. Finally, we conducted trapping to compare the physiological states of Cx. quinquefasciatus and diversity of collected mosquitoes. CO2-baited no-light CDC light traps collected more unfed Cx. quinquefasciatus while Gravid traps collected more blooded Cx. quinquefasciatus; both traps collected the same number of gravid Cx. quinquefasciatus. Additionally, we found that CO2-baited no-light CDC light traps collected a larger diversity of mosquito species than Gravid traps.

West Nile virus surveillance in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana.

West Nile virus (WNV) was detected for the first time in Louisiana in the fall of 2001. Surveillance data collected from East Baton Rouge Parish in 2002 were examined to establish baseline data on WNV activity, to support the current design of disease surveillance programs, and to target vector control efforts in the parish. The first indications of WNV activity were from a dead Northern Cardinal collected in February and from a live male cardinal sampled on 14 March. In mosquito pools, WNV was first detected on June 11. The onset of the first human case and the first detection of WNV in sentinel chickens occurred concurrently on June 24. The number of reported human cases and minimum infection rates in mosquitoes peaked in July. WNV prevalence in wild birds increased in late August and was highest in December. WNV-positive wild birds and mosquito pools were detected an average of 31 and 59 days in advance of the onset date of reported human cases, respectively, within 5 km of the residence of a human case. Antibodies to WNV were detected in sera from 7 (Northern Cardinal, House Sparrow, Northern Mockingbird, Blue Jay, Hermit Thrush, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and White-throated Sparrow) of the 42 wild bird species tested. Wild bird serology indicated WNV activity during the winter. Out of 18 mosquito species tested, the only species found positive for WNV was Culex quinquefasciatus, a result suggesting that this species was the primary epizootic/epidemic vector.

Reduced performance of a PVC-coated Biogents Sentinel prototype in comparison to the original Biogents Sentinel for monitoring the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, in temperate North America.

Aedes albopictus is a major nuisance pest and also a public health concern because of the role it plays in the transmission of arboviruses. There is a continuing demand for effective surveillance tools for this species. The first generation of Biogents Sentinel (BGS1) traps have proven to be an effective tool for surveillance of Ae. albopictus throughout its range, however, some defects in construction led to the eventual development of the next generation. We compared the performance of the new generation prototype trap (BGS2P) to the original. Studies were conducted in suburban and urban areas in Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, and Virginia, USA in the summer of 2014 (July-October). BGS1 traps collected significantly more Ae. albopictus when compared to the BGS2P with or without CO2 in all locations (P<0.05). When a white cloth was wrapped around the BGS2P traps, efficiency did not change in Louisiana, New Jersey, and Virginia; however, numbers of adult Ae. albopictus collected from the BGS2P and the BGS1 were significantly different based on lure type (P< 0.0001). Results from Florida showed that BGS1with the BG lure and CO2 collected significantly higher adult numbers compared to BGS2P with a three component cartridge lure and CO2 (P< 0.0001). Overall, our results indicate that despite improvements in construction and durability of the BGS2P, this newer trap type did not increase the capture rates of Ae. albopictus in North America. Biogents modified BGS2P based on the data collected from the current study and updated as Biogents Sentinel 2 is now commercially available and its efficacy in comparison to the original will require further study.