Mosquito Vectors Survey in the AL-Ahsaa District of Eastern Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The present study aimed to identify the mosquito vectors distributed throughout AL-Ahsaa district situated in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia. Mosquito larvae were collected seasonally for one year (October 2009 to September 2010) from different breeding sites in seven rural areas utilizing long aquatic nets. Salinity and pH of these breeding sites were also measured seasonally. The survey revealed the presence of five mosquito species, Aedes caspius Pallas (Diptera: Culicidae), Anopheles multicolor Cambouliu, Culex perexiguus Theobald, Culex pipiens L., and Culex pusillus Macquart, representing three genera; four of them (Ae. caspius, An. multicolor, Cx. perexiguus, and Cx. pipiens) are important vectors of diseases. Ae. caspius is the most common vector followed by Cx. pipiens and then Cx. perexiguus. Mosquitoes in AL-Ahsaa are prevalent in both winter and spring seasons, rarely encountered in summer, and are found in moderation during the autumn months. These results are compared with results of other regions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Mosquito vectors survey reveals new record of Culiseta subochrea in Al-Ahsa Oasis, Saudi Arabia

“…All the mosquito species that have been collected in the present study never been mentioned in the survey of Büttiker [17]. Additionally, the recent survey by Ahmed et al [19] did not report the presence of both Cs. longiareolata and Cs.…”

“…Results also showed that this mosquito is a cool weather speciesas the highest incidence was in winter and spring. Similarly, Ahmed et al [19] stated that winter season exhibited the highest incidence of larvae compared with the other three seasons in Al-Ahsa district, Eastern Saudi Arabia. In contrast, Abdullah and Merdan [28] mentioned that Cx.…”

“…It has been recorded inthe eastern region [16][17][18][19][20], western region [26,27], southwestern region [24,25,28,29] and the middle region [30] of Saudi Arabia. In agreement with the present findings, it is commonly found in sites with low and/or moderate salinity [19]. Results also showed that this mosquito is a cool weather speciesas the highest incidence was in winter and spring.…”

“…The majority of these 14 surveys were carried out in south western region which could be the results of the Rift Valley fever epidemic that happened in 2000 and the endemic of malaria in such region whilst 5 surveys were conducted in Eastern region, 4 surveys in the western region and 2 surveys in the middle region. The 5 mosquito surveys conducted in the eastern region focused mainly on Al-Ahsa [16][17][18][19][20]. The first three surveys [16][17][18] were quick collections for a very short time whereas the other couple of surveys [19,20] were conducted seasonally.…”

“…The 5 mosquito surveys conducted in the eastern region focused mainly on Al-Ahsa [16][17][18][19][20]. The first three surveys [16][17][18] were quick collections for a very short time whereas the other couple of surveys [19,20] were conducted seasonally. Consequently, more accurate and reliable mosquito surveys are required to clarify the prevalent mosquito species in Al-Ahsa Oasis.…”