Chasing Arboviruses in Vector Mosquitoes at Glenwood

Cemetery, Houston, Texas- Trailing the life-blood of a cemetery -

By Benedict Khoo, Jenny Martinez, Dr. Jeffrey FlosiUniversity of Houston - Downtown

Scholars Academy SURP 2007

Introduction• Species of interest

• Culex quinquefasciatus (Southern House Mosquito)• Aedes albopictus (Asian Tiger Mosquito)

• Arthropod-borne Virus• West Nile Virus (WNV); St. Louis Encephalitis (SLE)• Transmission: Cold-Chain of Evidence• Why are we interested?

Purpose 1: Site 1 vs. Site 2

Purpose 2: CDC vs. GRV

Purpose 3: Presence of Arboviruses

Materials• Mosquito Traps

– 2 Gravitraps (GRV) baited with grass-and-yeast-infused water– 2 CDC miniature light traps baited with dry ice (CO2)

• Other equipment and materialsMonday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday FridaySet Traps (1pm – 3pm)

(7am – 11am) Pick-Up; Process

Set Traps (1pm – 3pm)

(7am – 11am) Pick-Up; Process

VECTEST (7am – 11am)

Set-Up of Site Carrying OutVECTEST Procedures

Pick-Up of Traps Processing

ResultsTotal number of mosquitoes

– 476 mosquitoes in 4 trap nights

– 7 species, 4 genera represented

– Predominant species

Purpose 1: Site 1 vs. Site 2

Purpose 2: CDC vs. GRV

Purpose 3: Arboviruses (negative)

Conclusions Regarding Hypothesis

n = 169 n = 307

n = 58 n = 418

Collection of Adult Mosquitoes(11-12 June 2007)

Ae. fulv.-pal(1%)

Ae. albo.(2%)An. punct.

(1%)

Ae. vexans(17%)

Cx. quin.(78%)

Cx. nigri.(1%)

Collection of Adult Mosquitoes(13-14 June 2007)

Ae. albo.0.5%

An. punct.1.4%Ae. vexans

7.7%

Cx. quin.90.4%

Collection of Adult Mosquitoes(18-19 June 2007)

Cx. quin.77.5%

Ae. vexans15.8%

An. punct.0.8%

Ps. ciliata5.9%

Collection of Adult Mosquitoes(20-21 June 2007)

Cx. quin.65%

Ps. ciliata10%

Ae. vexans

25%

Climatological Data for June 2007

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

1001 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Time (Days of Month)

Tem

pera

ture

(° F

)

-0.5

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

Precipitation (in.)Trap

Nig

ht 1

Trap

Nig

ht 2

Trap

Nig

ht 3

Trap

Nig

ht 4

Number of Adult Mosquitoes Collected(12-21 June 2007)

100

208

120

48

0

50

100

150

200

250

1 2 3 4

Trap Nights

Num

ber

DiscussionClimatological events affecting capture of adult mosquitoes

Flooding and loss of breeding sites near assigned trap locations

~ Future Work