Vol. 2 (2021): Esferas
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-Being

The Gravid-Aedes Trap as an alternative for surveillance of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the vector of dengue on the Galapagos Islands

Renato Leon
Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador
Andres Ricardo Carrazco Montalvo
Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador
Ivis Alexi Llerena Martillo
Consultor independiente, Quito, Ecuador
Agustín Hinojosa Gavilanes
LINTEC, Universidad Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brasil
La trampa entomológica Gravid-Aedes Trap, como una alternativa para el monitoreo del mosquito Aedes aegypti, vector del dengue, en las islas Galápagos

Published 2021-04-06

Keywords

  • vector surveillance,
  • Galapagos archipelago,
  • GAT traps,
  • dengue fever,
  • chikungunya,
  • Zika
  • ...More
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How to Cite

Leon, R., Carrazco Montalvo, A. R., Llerena Martillo, I. A., & Hinojosa Gavilanes, A. . (2021). The Gravid-Aedes Trap as an alternative for surveillance of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the vector of dengue on the Galapagos Islands. Esferas, 2(1), 54–73. https://doi.org/10.18272/esferas.v2i.1988

Abstract

The Aedes aegypti mosquito is a two-winged insect of medical importance as it is the main vector of several arboviruses including dengue, chikungunya and Zika. This species is diurnal and is adapted to live close to the human population in urban settings. In 1988, the first dengue outbreak occurred in Ecuador. Since then, dengue has been endemic, causing peaks of transmission every four or five years. On the Galapagos Islands, this species was introduced in 2002 when the first cases were reported on Santa Cruz Island. Subsequently, a major epidemic outbreak occurred in 2010 on San Cristóbal Island, and since then, sporadic cases have occurred every year. A few cases of chikungunya and Zika have also been reported in past years. In the archipelago, the activities to reduce the mosquito populations have been restricted to vector control through abatization campaigns, to kill the mosquito larva, and fumigation with the insecticide Deltamethrin, to kill the adults. Mosquito surveillance initiatives have not been developed; nevertheless, they are crucial to be able to evaluate the best vector control strategies and choose the most adequate measures to eliminate the vector mosquitoes and reduce disease transmission. The Gravid-Aedes Trap is presented as an easy-to-use, passive monitoring tool for vector surveillance. It is affordable and does not require electricity. Evaluation studies in Brazil have shown the usefulness of this trap to conduct vector surveillance and vector control. A pilot study is herein reported with 10 GAT traps that were placed in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, San Cristóbal Island and in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island to carry out mosquito surveillance. Preliminary results suggest that the GAT traps may be effective for collecting Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and thus of potential use to complement the vector control strategies that are routinely carried out on the Galapagos Islands. Other mosquito species collected were Culex quinquefasciatus and Aedes taeniorhynchus. Future large-scale studies are necessary to further evaluate the usefulness of this new trap.

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