Blood-Feeding Patterns of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) Collected in a Rural Thai Village

Abstract

Aedes aegypti (L.) were collected by aspiration once each week from in and around houses in a rural village in Chachoengsao Province. Thailand, during May 1990 to June 1991. Of the 1,230 specimens analyzed with a sandwich ELISA, 73% reacted to one or more of the seven hosts which we tested. Eighty-eight percent (789/896) of all detectable meals were identified as being from a single host (human). Patent multiple meals (double and triple), of which one was always human, were detected in 7% (66/896) of the specimens. The probability of feeding on a human, either as a single host or in a patent mixed meal, was > 0.90 during 12 of the 14 mo of the study; this probability never dropped below 0.85. The probability of Ae. aegypti taking multiple blood meals during a single gonotrophic cycle varied widely from 0.0 to 1.0. The possibility is discussed, including epidemiological significance, that there are seasonal fluctuations in the frequency of multiple feeding by Ae. aegypti and that multiple feeding increases in concert with seasonal trends for dengue infections of humans in Thailand.

Calculating the survival rate and estimated population density of gravid Aedes aegypti (Diptera, Culicidae) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

“…The duration of the extrinsic incubation period would be set at 10 days 23 . Mosquito bites per day were set at 3 27 , and since 90% of feeds are usually taken on humans 28 , the human biting rate per day would be 2.7 12,25 . In the present report, vector capacity was simulated using the survival rates estimated by captures done with MosquiTRAP and aspirator.…”

The Effects of Sustained Release Metofluthrin on the Biting, Movement, and Mortality of Aedes aegypti in a Domestic Setting

“…1,2 This day-biting mosquito has a close association with the urban environment, 3,4 almost exclusively feeding on human hosts 5,6 and breeding in artificial containers found in the domestic setting (i.e., pot plant bases, tires, roof gutters, etc.). 7 Aedes aegypti regularly take multiple blood meals, often from different humans, to complete their gonotrophic cycle.…”

Abbreviations and acronyms

“…aegypti females demonstrated that 88% of all detectable meals were identified as being from a single host (human) and only 7% of all the females had taken multiple meals (Scott et al, 1993). Engorged females in Thailand revealed that half to one-third imbibed two or more blood meals in a 36-hour time period.…”

“…They are commonly found indoors, breeding in artificial containers, with female needing to feed on blood to produce eggs, as described above. Studies have demonstrated high anthropophily, with over 90% of the ingested blood being human, and the rest from pets, such as dogs and cats (Scott et al, 1993). Multiple feeding in a gonotrophic cycle can increase the risk of disease transmission by increasing the frequency of contact with hosts (Garrett-Jones, 1964;Garrett-Jones and Shidrawi, 1969;Dye, 1986).…”

“…Multiple feeding in a gonotrophic cycle can increase the risk of disease transmission by increasing the frequency of contact with hosts (Garrett-Jones, 1964;Garrett-Jones and Shidrawi, 1969;Dye, 1986). Two types of multiple feeding have been recognised: supplementary feeding owing to nutritional reserve depletion in teneral females (Scott et al, 1993;Xue, Edman and Scott, 1995;Scott et al, 2000;ReyesVillanueva, 2004) and interrupted feeding owing mainly to host defence (Clements, 1999). For more detailed information, see Chapter 2 section on "Physiology of reproduction".…”