Volume 9, Issue 1, January 2019

Aedine Diversity, Composition, and Abundance in An Island Ecosystem Impacted by Tsunami, 2004

Author(s): Addepalli Prem Kumar*, A. N. Shriram, I. P. Sunish and Anwesh Maile
Abstract: Environment plays an important role in the distribution of Vector Borne Diseases, which influences vector-pathogen transmission cycle, encompassing the vector distribution, abundance and diversity. Arbo-viral pathogens respond to changes in environment at different transmission levels and upsurges when environment is altered. Mosquito biodiversity and relative abundance of vectors in altered scenario is scanty. Aedes spp abundance was investigated, across three ecological settings in Teressa Island of Nicobar district. Each village was grouped into three ecotomes/settings, viz, domestic, peri-domestic and sylvatic. In Teressa island, all the households are clustered at one place, due to developmental activities during post-tsunami. All the available water holding containers and Aedine breeding sites were surveyed. There were ten species of Aedes in this island. The abundance of arboviral vector species such as; Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus showed decreasing trend from Domestic to sylvatic settings, while the diurnally subperiodic filariasis vector; Aedes niveus (now renamed as Downsomyia nivea) showed a reverse trend. Since three species among the 10 identified are known vectors of pathogens, the habitats of these three species need to be monitored frequently and appropriate control strategies to be devised to reduce the disease burden. The results are an important first step for understanding the dynamics of Aedes spp distribution under the changing ecology across the remotely located Teressa Island, inhabited by the native Nicobarese.
PAGES: 1029-1037  |  17 VIEWS  26 DOWNLOADS

How To Cite this Article:

Addepalli Prem Kumar*, A. N. Shriram, I. P. Sunish and Anwesh Maile. Aedine Diversity, Composition, and Abundance in An Island Ecosystem Impacted by Tsunami, 2004. 2019; 9(1): 1029-1037.