Model Warns Of New Mosquito Invasion In Florida And South East

Model Warns Of New Mosquito Invasion In Florida And South EastNow that the disease-transmitting mosquito Aedes scapularis has invaded the Florida peninsula, researchers have come up with a method to predict where conditions may be most suitable for its spread.

When a new mosquito species capable of transmitting disease arrives and shows signs it can survive across multiple urban and rural habitats it brings the potential for public health risk.

Aedes scapularis is a nonnative mosquito, just discovered in November 2020. It can transmit yellow fever virus, Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, dog heartworm, and other pathogens to humans or other animals. It has a wide range, from Texas to parts of South America and throughout much of the Caribbean. The species is also widespread in Florida’s Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

In the latest study, published in the journal Insects, scientists indicated through model predictions that suitable environments for Aedes scapularis could be present along coastal counties in much of Florida.

Model Warns Of New Mosquito Invasion In Florida And South EastModel output predicting the potential distribution of Aedes scapularis. (Credit: Lindsay Campbell/U. Florida)


 Get The Latest By Email

Weekly Magazine Daily Inspiration

More specifically, the areas along Florida’s Atlantic and Gulf coastlines predicted to be highly suitable for this species are from Monroe and Miami-Dade Counties, north to Martin County on the Atlantic Coast, and in Citrus County on the Gulf Coast.

“At least 16 Florida counties were predicted to be highly suitable for Aedes scapularis, suggesting that vigilance is needed by mosquito control and public health agencies to recognize the further spread of this vector,” says coauthor Lawrence Reeves, a research scientist at the University of Florida’s Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory.

Suitable mosquito environments

The scientists used a process known as ecological niche modeling, which uses a machine-learning algorithm to predict the potential distribution of a species across the landscape. Researchers often use the process to determine areas that nonnative species could invade.

“We are able to predict the potential distribution of Aedes scapularis in Florida and parts of the southeastern United States including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, and parts of South Carolina,” says Lindsay Campbell, an assistant professor of entomology and nematology.

“This model compares environmental and climate data from the native range of this mosquito in Central and South America with similar data from the southeastern United States and Florida to predict where areas might be suitable for the species,” Campbell says.

The researchers created a map showing suitable environments where the species could potentially spread, and while it does not show the probability that Aedes scapularis is located at an exact location, it can identify suitable environments for this mosquito as it continues to spread across Florida.

“This information is useful to mosquito control districts monitoring for Aedes scapularis, now that it has reached the mainland, and it can be updated regularly,” says Campbell.

Aedes scapularis and other new mosquitoes

The model included Aedes scapularis records across South, Central, and portions of North America, as well as from multiple Caribbean islands to help make accurate predictions.

In 2020, the team collected 121 Aedes scapularis specimens between Florida City in southern Miami-Dade County and the Pompano Beach area in northern Broward County. Combining these records allowed scientists to incorporate vital information about where the mosquito had been observed, with humidity and temperature values acquired from satellite remote-sensing data to make model predictions.

“The use of satellite remote-sensing data products enabled us to incorporate environmental conditions across the full geographic range of this species and to make a prediction about its potential distribution across the southern United States,” says Campbell.

The next steps for research of the new species include continuing to work with colleagues in the Florida mosquito control districts to incorporate new observations into updated models. Additionally, scientists have the opportunity to observe how the species is moving across the landscape and what types of local environments facilitate or limit its geographic spread.

“This information will provide valuable insight into potential risks associated with Aedes scapularis while also providing important information about potential outcomes for additional mosquito species introductions,” says Reeves.

Source: University of Florida

Original Study

books_impacts

AVAILABLE LANGUAGES

English Afrikaans Arabic Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Traditional) Danish Dutch Filipino Finnish French German Greek Hebrew Hindi Hungarian Indonesian Italian Japanese Korean Malay Norwegian Persian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Spanish Swahili Swedish Thai Turkish Ukrainian Urdu Vietnamese

follow InnerSelf on

facebook icontwitter iconyoutube iconinstagram iconpintrest iconrss icon

 Get The Latest By Email

Weekly Magazine Daily Inspiration

Wednesday, 26 July 2023 12:55

With the rising cost of living, gyms memberships and fitness classes are becoming increasingly unaffordable. But the good news is you can make just as much progress at home.

Tuesday, 20 April 2021 08:05

Wild bees are essential for sustaining the landscapes we love. A healthy community of wild pollinators ensures that most flowering plants have an A-team pollinator species and a reserve bench of...

Saturday, 15 May 2021 16:24

There exist several approaches to obtaining optimal health, all of them important, each of them acting in some way on all the aspects of our beings. I know that if a technique were valid for...

Sunday, 23 May 2021 08:15

We sometimes need to use antibiotics to treat sick animals, but taking advantage of opportunities to reduce antibiotics use could benefit everyone

Monday, 24 July 2023 16:37

Uterine fibroids, or leiomyomas, are benign tumors commonly occurring in the uterus. They affect many women, particularly African Americans, and can lead to clinical symptoms such as abnormal...

Thursday, 27 July 2023 22:59

Loneliness can profoundly impact our physical and emotional health, and a new study from Tulane University has shed light on its significant role in the development of cardiovascular disease among...

New Attitudes - New Possibilities

InnerSelf.comClimateImpactNews.com | InnerPower.net
MightyNatural.com | WholisticPolitics.com | InnerSelf Market
Copyright ©1985 - 2021 InnerSelf Publications. All Rights Reserved.