Prevalence of Larval Breeding Sites and Seasonal Variations of Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in Makkah Al-Mokarramah, Saudi Arabia

Elfadol Obeid Mohamed Ali, Ahmed Omer Babalghith, Adil Omer Saeed Bahathig, Fawzia Hassan Suleiman Toulah, Turki Ghazi Bafaraj, Sameer Mohammed Yousef Al-Mahmoudi, Abdullah Mousa Fawaz Alhazmi and Mohamed E. Abdel-Latif
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Elfadol Obeid Mohamed Ali: Faculty of Public Health and Health Informatics, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 24230, Saudi Arabia
Ahmed Omer Babalghith: Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 24230, Saudi Arabia
Adil Omer Saeed Bahathig: Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 24230, Saudi Arabia
Fawzia Hassan Suleiman Toulah: Department of Zoology Faculty of Science, AL Faisaliah Campus, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21577, Saudi Arabia
Turki Ghazi Bafaraj: Vectors Control Department, Ministry of Health, Makkah 24230, Saudi Arabia
Sameer Mohammed Yousef Al-Mahmoudi: Vectors Control Department, Ministry of Health, Makkah 24230, Saudi Arabia
Abdullah Mousa Fawaz Alhazmi: Faculty of Public Health and Health Informatics, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 24230, Saudi Arabia
Mohamed E. Abdel-Latif: The Medical School, College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 14, 1-11

Abstract: Since 1994, dengue fever (DF) transmission rates have increased significantly in Saudi Arabia (KSA). Climatic, geographic, and demographic conditions make KSA especially suitable for DF’s spread. Still, there are insufficient strategies for controlling the Aedes species that transmit DF virus (DENV). To develop effective management strategies, it is necessary to identify Aedes species and the ecological habitat of larvae in Makkah Al-Mokarramah, KSA. We conducted a longitudinal survey of Aedes mosquitoes in 14 localities from January 2015 to December 2015. World Health Organization (WHO) inspection kits for larvae were used to detect and sample larvae, along with pictorial keys. A total of 42,981 potential Aedes larval breeding sites were surveyed. A total of 5403 (12.6%) sites had at least one water source positive for Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) mosquitoes. Among the total of 15,133 water sources surveyed within the sampled sites, 1815 (12.0%) were positive for Aedes aegypti . Aedes aegypti was the only Aedes species identified in the course of the survey. The presence of such a large immature population may indicate an imminent outbreak of DF in the near future unless proper implementation of control and elimination of Aedes aegypti are undertaken. Additionally, the adaptation of Aedes aegypti to the arid climate of Makkah needs further investigation.

Keywords: Aedes aegypti mosquitoes; larval ecology; Makkah; dengue fever (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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