CASTILLO QUESADA, Rosa María et al. Presence and breeding sites of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in eastern Cuba. []. , 66, 1, pp. 143-147. ISSN 0375-0760.

Introduction: Aedes albopictus is a species native to the jungles of Southeast Asia. It was introduced in Cuba in 1995. Objectives: report the presence and breeding sites of Aedes albopictus, and discuss a hypothesis about its emergence in the eastern province of Santiago de Cuba. Methods: the study was conducted in the nine municipalities making up the province. Sampling of pre-adult stages was conducted at least once a month using containers with water and larvitraps, which were checked weekly as part of the country's entomological surveillance program for control of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Results: Aedes albopictus was first detected in the municipalities of Palma Soriano and Tercer Frente in June 2012, and in the entire province of Santiago de Cuba by the end of that year. The containers showing the highest percentage of positivity were the larvitraps (65.49 %) located near intermunicipal roads, followed by ground-level water storage tanks (20.52 %). The containers showing the lowest positivity were discarded car tires and elevated tanks (1.48 % and 0.45 %, respectively). Conclusions: presence of Aedes albopictus was reported in several municipalities of the province of Santiago de Cuba, pointing to the advisability of conducting follow-up studies about its distribution, behavior, association with other Culicidae species, and possible role in the transmission of dengue and other arboviral diseases.

: entomological surveillance; Aedes albopictus; breeding sites; Cuba.

        · |     · |     · ( pdf )