Seasonal variation of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in a city of Southeastern Brazil

Author(s)

Lígia Leandro Nunes Serpa ^[1] ; Katjy Veiga Rosário Martins Costa ^[2] ; Júlio Cesar Voltolini ^[3] ; Iná Kakitani ^[4]

Affiliation

^[1] Superintendência de Controle de Endemias. Laboratório de Culicídeos - Brasil

^[2] Superintendência de Controle de Endemias. Laboratório de Culicídeos - Brasil

^[3] Universidade de Taubaté. Departamento de Biologia - Brasil

^[4] Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Saúde Pública. Departamento de Epidemiologia - Brasil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Revista de Saúde Pública; v. 40, n. 6, p. 1101-1105, 2006-10-27.
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Parasitology

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To assess the seasonal variation of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus and to estimate the association between the species abundance and abiotic factors. METHODS: Tire-traps were kept for a period of 15 days monthly in an urban area of the city of Potim in the state of São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil, from November 2002 to October 2003. Samples of immature forms were followed up under laboratory conditions for 29 days and species were identified. The association between abundance and temperature, rainfall and air relative humidity was tested using Spearman correlations (r s). The descriptive statistics were presented by the average and the standard error (alpha=0.05). RESULTS: From a total of 20,727 immatures collected, 95.3% were Ae. aegypti and 4.7%, Ae. albopictus. Ae. aegypti was found throughout the whole year while Ae. albopictus was found from November to July. The association between these species and abiotic factors was significant for Ae. aegypti (p=0.04) as for maximum temperature and for Ae. albopictus as for maximum temperature (p=0.01) and rainfall (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Both species presented seasonal variation. However, Ae. aegypti was found throughout the whole year showing a decrease between April and May and June and July. Ae. albopictus, less abundant, was found only between November, 2002 and July, 2003 with a peak in April, 2003. The higher abundance of Ae. aegypti compared to Ae. albopictus in an urban area showed Ae. aegypti has greater capacity of colonizing tires. Such a breeding site in the environment may be important to the maintenance and abundance of Ae. aegypti. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 99/10517-1 - Synanthropic studies about Culicidae mosquitoes
• Grantee: Oswaldo Paulo Forattini
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants