Is the body size of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) a determinant in the epidemiological dynamics of dengue?: a perspective to be considered within vector control programs.

Abstract

 It has been proposed that the high incidence of dengue is related to the increase in vector population density although this fact does not apply to all endemic areas. The body size of the adult mosquito is modulated by habitat conditions in immature stages and could affect epidemiological dynamics of dengue, since it has been suggested that size affects vectorial capacity, at least in laboratory conditions; field studies are scarce, and there is no scientific consensus on the relationship between body size and epidemiology of the disease. In this context, there is a possibility that a body size highly competent in dengue virus transmission may emerge in epidemic periods. For this reason, the study of the temporal fluctuation of the vector would help determine the viral size-transmission relationship, and integrated control methods could be implemented on this basis to establish body sizes with a low probability of transmission, mainly during periods of high epidemiological incidence. Factors related to the behavior and life history of Aedes aegypti are discussed, as well as the importance of temporal monitoring of adult mosquito body size in endemic areas.