Mosquitoes Know No Borders: Surveillance of Potential Introduction of <i>Aedes</i> Species in Southern Québec, Canada

oleh: Anne-Marie Lowe, Karl Forest-Bérard, Richard Trudel, Ernest Lo, Philippe Gamache, Matthieu Tandonnet, Serge-Olivier Kotchi, Patrick Leighton, Antonia Dibernardo, Robbin Lindsay, Antoinette Ludwig

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2021-08-01

Deskripsi

Current climatic conditions limit the distribution of <i>Aedes</i> (<i>Stegomyia</i>) <i>albopictus</i> (Skuse, Diptera: Culicidae) in the north, but predictive climate models suggest this species could establish itself in southern Canada by 2040. A vector of chikungunya, dengue, yellow fever, Zika and West Nile viruses, the <i>Ae. Albopictus</i> has been detected in Windsor, Ontario since 2016. Given the potential public health implications, and knowing that <i>Aedes spp.</i> can easily be introduced by ground transportation, this study aimed to determine if specimens could be detected, using an adequate methodology, in southern Québec. Mosquitoes were sampled in 2016 and 2017 along the main roads connecting Canada and the U.S., using Biogent traps (Sentinel-2, Gravide <i>Aedes</i> traps) and ovitraps. Overall, 24 mosquito spp. were captured, excluding <i>Ae. Albopictus</i>, but detecting one <i>Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti</i> (Skuse) specimen (laid eggs). The most frequent species among captured adults were <i>Ochlerotatus triseriatus</i>, <i>Culex pipiens</i> complex, and <i>Ochlerotatus japonicus</i> (31.0%, 26.0%, and 17.3%, respectively). The present study adds to the increasing number of studies reporting on the range expansions of these mosquito species, and suggests that ongoing monitoring, using multiple capture techniques targeting a wide range of species, may provide useful information to public health with respect to the growing risk of emerging mosquito-borne diseases in southern Canada.