Emerging Technologies for Urban Mosquito Management - Urban Insect Pests: Sustainable Management Strategies - page 24

Table 3.1. Urban mosquitoes, their habitat, distribution, diseases and global trends.

Main human
diseases
transmitted

Key urban
mosquitoes

Urban larval
habitat

Current distribution

Trends and threats

Aedes aegypti (yellow
fever mosquito)

Principally artifi cial
containers with
water

Widespread tropical
and subtropical

Dengue 30-fold increase in

dengue cases over last
50 years (WHO,
2013b). Threat of
continued resurgence
and virus circulation
including into south
USA and
Mediterranean.
Climate change may
increase range.

Aedes albopictus
(Asian tiger
mosquito)

Principally artifi cial
containers with
water

East Asia, Middle East,
West Africa,
Madagascar, south
Europe, USA and
Latin America

Dengue,
Chikungunya

Expanded from South-
east Asia. Threat of
continued expansion in
temperate zones and
increased virus
circulation.
Climate change may
increase range.

Culex pipiens pipiens
(northern house
mosquito)

Stagnant pools and
sewage
contaminated
water

Global temperate
zones

West Nile Virus
(WNV; north and
east USA)

Rapid spread through the
USA from entry in
1999. Repeated
outbreaks likely.

Culex pipiens
molestus

Basement and
underground
standing water

Indoors and in
underground
locations in
temperate cities in
Europe and the USA

WNV in US cities Increases with

urbanization.
Intraspecifi c crosses
within Cx. pipiens
species complex may
increase disease
transmission from birds
to humans.

Culex pipiens
quinquefasciatus
(southern house
mosquito)

Stagnant pools and
sewage
contaminated
water

Global subtropical and
tropical zones

Urban vector of
Lymphatic
Filariasis
(Africa, South
and South-east
Asia) and WNV
(south USA)

This species thrives
where urbanization
occurs with inadequate
sanitation.
A Global Mass Drug
Administration
programme aims to
eliminate fi lariasis by
2020 (WHO, 2013a).

Anopheles stephensi Principally artifi cial

containers with
water

Middle East and South
Asia

Malaria Continuing urbanization

favours this species.

Anopheles gambiae
s.s.

Temporary water
bodies and
irrigated land

Sub-Saharan Africa,
mainly rural but also
urban/peri-urban

Malaria
(major African
vector)

Urbanization is reducing
malaria overall but only
where standing water is
eliminated.

reduced dengue transmission. In six villages
in a peri-urban area in Cambodia, Seng et al.
(2008) found that insecticide-treated water
container covers resulted in a reduction in
Ae. aegypti for approximately 5 months.
The Casa Segura system has been
deployed in Merida, Mexico, where from

2009 to 2010 deltamethrin-treated curtains
led to a 50% reduction in the number of
dengue cases reported (Pino, unpublished
results). In order to be effective, the tech-
nique needs to be combined with source
reduction (elimination of standing water)
and the householders must continue to use