Posted by Vector and Vector-borne Disease Committee
February 8, 2023
Wilke ABB, Mhlanga A, Kummer AG, Vasquez C, Moreno M, Petrie WD, et al. (2023) PLoS Negl Trop Dis 17(1): e0011074. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0011074
Abstract:
Mathematical models have been widely used to study vector mosquitoes as well as to test the effectiveness of arbovirus outbreak response and mosquito control strategies. However, due to the lack of empirical data, there are no studies focusing on the effectiveness of adulticide applications at different hours of the day to control different mosquito populations. This study leveraged a unique dataset in which approximately 25,000 mosquitoes comprising 19 species were collected hourly in Miami-Dade County, Florida, and Brownsville, Texas. We then developed a mathematical model to simulate the population dynamics of five mosquito vector species to evaluate the effectiveness of adulticide spraying at different times of the day and at different frequencies. Mosquito community composition and abundance varied significantly throughout the day in both Brownsville and Miami-Dade County with more than 10-fold differences during the day. Depending on the target vector species, the application of adulticides at a given hour of the day may lead to drastically different results, although we found some common patterns such as the remarkable effectiveness of interventions performed at 9 PM.
Note: In this open access publication, the authors showed the activity of different urban mosquito species in a 24-hour period and used mathematical models to determine the best time for conducting adulticide applications for each species. The authors noted an overlap in activity between invasive Aedes spp. and Culex spp. at 9 PM, suggesting this as the most effective time for adulticide treatments targeting both invasive Aedes spp. and WNV vectors.