Abstract

MARIN RODRIGUEZ, Rodrigo; DIAZ RIOS, Mariela  and  ALVAREZ GUTIERREZ, Yaricsa. Aedes albopictus and its breeding sites in the province of Limón, Costa Rica. Rev Cubana Med Trop [online]. 2013, vol.65, n.3, pp. 320-328. ISSN 0375-0760.

Introduction: Aedes albopictus, a mosquito native to Southeast Asia, is the vector of dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya fever and other arboviruses. Objectives: identify the presence of Aedes albopictus and describe its main breeding sites in the province of Limón. Methods: all areas in the province were sampled and visited in their entirety at least once every two months by personnel from the Integrated Vector Management Program. Visits included inspection of all water containers, irrespective of whether they contained Aedes albopictus larvae. Samples were taken from each type of container where larvae were found. Results: the presence of Aedes albopictus was identified in the municipality of Pococí, not in the other 5 municipalities in the province. It was found that there was a wide variety of breeding sites, 50 % of which were artificial and 39.28 % natural. Conclusions: presence of Aedes albopictus was identified in the municipality of Pococí and its main breeding sites described.

Keywords : Aedes albopictus; dengue; containers; breeding sites; Costa Rica.

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