Abstract

CRUZ PINEDA, Carlos Alberto et al. Season and weather-dependent behavior of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes in Sancti Spiritus in the period 1999-2007. Rev Cubana Med Trop [online]. 2010, vol.62, n.1, pp. 1-10. ISSN 1561-3054.

INTRODUCTION: Aedes aegypti is the main dengue and hemorrhagic dengue vector and its widespread behavior responds to a number of factors, among them, the climatic ones. OBJECTIVES: to determine the behavior of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes depending on season and weather conditions and how it relates with climatic factors such as temperature and rain. METHODS: a descriptive seasonal and weather study was made on the basis of data given by the provincial weather center and the surveillance anti-vector fight unit located in Sancti Spiritus province, which covered the 1999-2007 period. RESULTS: of the total number of samples, 86,7% comprised immature phases of the mosquito whereas 13,2% corresponded to mosquitoes at the adult phase; 19,2 % of foci were found inside houses and premises but 80,7 % outdoors. The highest focal incidence occurred in 2001 (278 foci) and in 2005 (219 foci) whereas the lowest incidence was found in 1999 (14 foci) and in 2003 (32 foci). The municipalities with the highest numbers of foci were Trinidad (302), Sancti Spíritus (242), Cabaiguán (241) and Jatibonico (154) and the lowest figures went to Yaguajay (13) and La Sierpe (6). The number of foci in the rainy season was significant with respect to the dry season (t= 4,09; p= 0,04). There was not high correlation between the number of foci and the recorded temperatures in the course of the study. CONCLUSION: it was shown that keeping permanent surveillance on Aedes aegypti is extremely important to prevent introduction and spread of this species into the province, mainly in the rainy periods.

Keywords : Aedes aegypti; rains; temperature; Sancti Spiritus; Cuba.

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