Investigation of the distribution of Aedes aegypti in Maricopa county, Arizona

Holeva-Eklund, Whitney Marie (2023) Investigation of the distribution of Aedes aegypti in Maricopa county, Arizona. Doctoral thesis, Northern Arizona University.

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Abstract

Aedes aegypti is the primary vector of dengue, yellow fever, Zika, and Chikungunya viruses. In recent years, mosquito-borne diseases have reemerged as a pressing public health issue around the world, as the geographic distribution of mosquitoes has increased rapidly. Maricopa County, Arizona is at risk for outbreaks of disease caused by viruses transmitted by Ae. aegypti due to the established presence of the mosquito vector and the high volume of travelers coming to Arizona from areas with endemic Ae. aegypti-borne viruses. Although much research exists on the broad distribution of this mosquito, there is less understanding of the local distribution and range of the vector in a desert climate. This dissertation employs a combination of spatial analysis, statistical analysis, and phylogenomic analysis to develop a better understanding of the local factors that support mosquito populations and the movement of mosquito populations over time and space in Maricopa County, AZ; this is the first time these methods have been used to study the recently established mosquito population in this area. A better understanding of the Ae. aegypti population is a critical component of implementing effective public health efforts that address outbreaks of associated disease. The hypothesis of these studies was that Ae. aegypti is not uniformly distributed throughout Maricopa County and that genetically distinct populations are separated by short distances given the commonly held belief that this mosquito travels very short distances during its lifetime. The results indicated that although there are areas within Maricopa County, AZ that appear to be more suitable for the vector, there is more extensive mixture between populations in Maricopa County than expected. Additionally, we found a positive association between Ae. aegypti adult female populations and median income and structure age in a given area, suggesting that older, wealthier neighborhoods may provide suitable habitat for this mosquito. Through the phylogenomic analysis, we identified two potential source locations from 2020 that are seeding populations of this vector throughout Maricopa County, AZ. Given these findings, it may be advisable to increase the range of public health and mosquito surveillance efforts related to the detection of Ae. aegypti-borne viruses; targeting vector control efforts to source locations or older, wealthier neighborhoods should also be considered. Importantly, it is essential to note that the findings presented in this dissertation are preliminary, and further research is urgently needed to better our understanding of the preferred habitat and range of the vector in this area.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Publisher’s Statement:	© Copyright is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the Cline Library, Northern Arizona University. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.
Keywords:	desert; habitat; model; mosquito; vector; Aedes Aegypti; Mosquito-born diseases; Maricopa County, Arizona
Subjects:	R Medicine > RC Internal medicine
MeSH Subjects:	C Diseases > C02 Virus Diseases
NAU Depositing Author Academic Status:	Student
Department/Unit:	Graduate College > Theses and Dissertations College of Engineering, Informatics, and Applied Sciences > School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems
Date Deposited:	12 May 2025 21:45
Last Modified:	12 May 2025 21:45
URI:	https://openknowledge.nau.edu/id/eprint/6130

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