Abstract

MARQUETTI, María del Carmen et al. Seasonal and spatial behaviour of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in the City of Havana, Cuba. Rev Cubana Med Trop [online]. 2008, vol.60, n.1. ISSN 0375-0760.

OBJECTIVES: Because of the permanence of Aedes albopictus in the urban and peri-urban ecosystems of various municipalities after the introduction of this vector in Cuba in 1995, as well as the presence of residual populations of Aedes aegypti, seasonal and spatial behaviour of both species was evaluated in a municipality of the City of Havana. METHODS: All the facilities located in Lisa municipality were inspected from January to December 2006 in which all kinds of water storage containers as well as natural breeding sites and larvitraps, a device for dengue vector surveillance, were surveyed. RESULTS: The ecological plasticity of Aedes aegypti was demonstrated, being mainly present in water storage tanks indoors and opened cans whereas Aedes albopictus prevailed in opened cans and water-filled tyres. The highest number of containers positive to both species was found from July to September during the rainy season in Cuba. In spite of the fact that Aedes aegypti was spread throughout the municipality, it was less predominant in rural areas than Aedes albopictus which in turn was less prevalent in containers. CONCLUSIONS: Although direct control actions against Aedes aegypti are permanently taken in Cuba, which leads to lower population densities of the species, Aedes albopictus has not been able to move the former away from its regular breeding sites.

Keywords : Aedes aegypti; ecological plasticity; Aedes albopictus; competency; alopatric distribution; breeding sites.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )