Host-seeking behaviors of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus were independently studied. The light intensity was manipulated to observe any changes in their host seeking behavior. A recording device containing photoelectric sensors was used to track movement among the mosquitoes in a closed environment. Attractive cues include carbon dioxide, heating, and the contrast of black and white colors. The nocturnal host-seeking activity increased with increased light intensity in both species. However, Aedes aegypti was found to be more sensitive to light than Aedes albopictus. Results also demonstrated that the eye parameter of Aedes aegypti was larger than Aedes albopictus suggesting that Aedes aegypti is more adapted to darker environments. These …show more content…
These two mosquitoes belong to the same genus but are different species. Furthermore, they are morphologically different. A. aegypti is brown and has white lines, whereas A. albopictus is black and contains yellow stripes. Furthermore, they inhabit different environments and are known to carry different pathogens. A. aegypti is known to harbor a virus that causes yellow fever. It is a rare disease but nonetheless very dangerous. A. aegypti originated from African but is now found in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world. It is mostly found in urban areas like the city (2). This species develops from water buckets containing water that are at close proximity to a household. It is important to note that this species also has a high preference for human blood. Furthermore, it bites, rests, and lays eggs indoors and outdoors …show more content…
They also detect other human characteristics such as body odor, secretions, and lactic acid (4). The body odor of a human has a bad smell when combined with bacteria. This combination is actually a sweet and pleasant scent for mosquitoes that attracts them to us. To prevent this scent from attracting mosquitoes it is essential to shower frequently. Next, there are secretions that are released. Around 80% of us secrete saccharides and antigens through our skin which indicate blood type. In this case, there is not much we can do to be classified as secretors or non-secretors (4). This characteristic is obtained genetically and depends on our blood type. Research shows that mosquitoes are most attracted to Type O and least attracted to Type A (4). An additional indicator includes the lactic acid released through skin after a workout or when eating certain foods. Lactic acid levels can be reduced by simply drying skin after a workout or washing the skin with soap (4). Furthermore, there are other indicators that attract mosquitoes such as body heat, moisture movement and color that attracts mosquito receptors
Aedes Aegypti The mosquito that has attracted the most attention is the mosquito Aedes aegypti. It belongs to the family Culcidae, consisting of about 2,500 species (Encyclopedia Britanica 1999), along with other genera of mosquitoes such as Anopheles, Culex, Orthopodomyia, and the Toxorynchites, to name a few (Womack 1993, E.B. 1999). This mosquito has been known best for transmitting yellow fever and human dengue throughout the tropic and subtropic of the Americas (Womack, M 1993). This mosquito
1. 1. Dengue Dengue is the most common arboviral (arthropod-transmitted) disease and it also position as the most important mosquito-borne viral disease in the world. Approximately 2.5 billion people living in tropical and sub-tropical regions are at a great risk of dengue infection, which is almost equal to about two-fifths of the human population (Gubler & Clark, 1995; WHO, 2009). There is an estimated 50-100 million infections occurring globally in each year, with 500,000 cases requiring hospitalization
definition to be one of the most deadly insects. The Aedes Aegypti and Aedes Albopictus mosquitoes cause destruction in their waking hours, daytime ‘till dusk. Many mosquitos like these kill millions of humans a year by the spreading of viruses like the Mayaro, Dengue fever, yellow fever, Chikungunya, and Zika. The Aedes Aegypti, also known as the yellow fever mosquito
person, it is then affected and every time it bites someone the virus spreads. The type of mosquito that carries this virus is called Aedes Aegypti, and looks the similar to other mosquitoes. There is another type of mosquito that also causes this illness, the aedes albopictus. This type of mosquito is different to aedes aegypti because it has wolbachia. The aedes aegypti is the main mosquito, that has been known to cause the dengue fever and it produces four related viruses which include DEN-1, DEN-2
has a widespread incidence. There are four closely related virus strains that cause dengue that are known as DENV 1, DENV 2, DENV 3, and DENV 4. The virus is transmitted to humans indirectly by mosquitos, of which Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are the primary vectors. The Aedes aegypti mosquito is also recognized as the species that spreads other viral diseases such as chikungunya, yellow fever, and the Zika virus. Dengue has a pronounced presence in tropical regions and because urbanization and
in tropic and subtropic regions, with around 100 million symptomatic new cases each year worldwide15. It is caused by any one of the four closely-related serotypes or viruses that is spread by multiple species of mosquitoes, in particular the Aedes aegypti 6,13. Signs and Symptoms The symptoms include high fever, severe headache, joint and muscle pain and a characteristic rash that resembles measles. In some cases the disease develops into a life-threatening condition called dengue hemorrhagic fever
Zika Virus The Zika virus, has as of lately come to the forefront just as sudden as the Ebola virus outbreak, back in 2014. Currently, not much is known with certainty about Zika, however, it is speculated there is a link between it and congenital malformations seen in newborns and other brain involved ailments which have been compared with the demyelization as it is seen in Multiple Sclerosis. Discovery Zika virus or ZIKV, which is an Arbovirus of the flavivirus genus belonging
The epidemiology of both dengue and West Nile Virus (WNV) are based on mosquito patterns and their interaction with human. Dengue has plagued nearly every continent and continues to be a major public health problem. WNV, on the other hand, is a relatively new human public health problem, especially in the US. It might be possible to model control efforts found effective against the globally distributed dengue for control of West Nile Virus right here in the US. I was in high school when WNV hit my