Aedes aegypti oviposition dynamics in towns with low human population density in yungas and dry chaco, Salta, Argentina

CHANAMPA, MARIANA M.; APARICIO, JUAN PABLO; HODI, SOLEDAD; DERLINDATI, ENRIQUE; RODRIGUEZ, NICOLAS; LARSEN, ROXANA ALEJANDRA GARCÍA; GLEISER, RAQUEL M.

ACTA TROPICA

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Año: 2024 vol. 254

0001-706X

We assessed the presence of Aedes aegypti in five ecorregions of Salta province and compared22 the oviposition activity of Ae. aegypti using ovitraps in towns of two contrasting ecoregions23 (Yungas and Chaco dry forests) in the province of Salta, Argentina. We aimed to assess whether24 differences in activity were associated more strongly with the ecoregion or with other more25 local environmental variables. Mosquito oviposition activity was monitored weekly during the26 summer using ovitraps. Predictor variables were ecoregion, town, landcover and27 meteorological variables. The effect of the predictor variables was measured on the response28 variables using multi-model inference. Besides yungas, the presence of Aedes aegypti was29 confirmed in towns of Dry Chaco and High Monte. The only factor that had a significant effect30 on the presence of eggs in the ovitraps was the ecoregion, with the frequency of positives being31 higher in yungas. For the number of eggs, the ecoregion, the diurnal temperature of the first32 week and the NDVI would explain said variable. Overall, results indicate that the variations33 between towns would be more related with their ecological and climatic characteristics than