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Estimation on Impacts of Vector Control Operations on Culex quinquefasciatus and Aedes albopictus in Harris County, Texas
Abstract
Culex quinquefasciatus (Say) and Aedes albopictus (Skuse) are mosquito species of great importance due to their ability to transmit multiple pathogens that can cause mosquito-borne diseases, such as West Nile fever and dengue, respectively. In Harris County, Texas, these mosquitos are subjected to extensive insecticide-based control by the Harris County Public Health Department. However, the development of insecticide resistance in mosquito populations worldwide has become a threat to current successes achieved in disease prevention. This is also a concern in Texas with its humid subtropical climate that provides suitable habitats for mosquito species that are known disease vectors. In order to protect public health, there is an urgent need to determine whether insecticide resistance has impacted effectiveness of current vector control programs. A further understanding of the population size of Cx. quinquefasciatus in Harris County and the genomics underlying metabolic resistance to malathion in Cx. quinquefasciatus and Ae. albopictus can contribute to better vector control strategies.
For the purpose of exploring population fluctuation of Cx. quinquefasciatus and its relationship with vector control efforts in Harris County, I estimated the effective population size using an approximate Bayesian computation, particularly under the impacts of winter season and a major hurricane, Hurricane Harvey. In addition, I performed transcriptome profiling to identify detoxification genes involved in metabolic tolerance in Cx. quinquefasciatus and Ae. albopictus in Harris County, Texas. Finally, I utilized RNA interference to validate the function of candidate P450 genes identified in the transcriptome analysis for Cx. quinquefasciatus.
My results documented that the winter season impacted population size to a greater extent than did intensive adulticide spraying operations in the Houston area. I also found significant population expansion following a major hurricane in Cx. quinquefasciatus in Harris County. In the end, I identified that the major genes involved in malathion detoxification in both Cx. quinquefasciatus and Ae. albopictus belonged to the three major detoxification families, and further explored the functional roles of two candidate genes, CYP325BC1 and CYP9M12, from the P450 complex.
Citation
Huang, Xinyue (2022). Estimation on Impacts of Vector Control Operations on Culex quinquefasciatus and Aedes albopictus in Harris County, Texas. Doctoral dissertation, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /197867.