Aedes albopictus Distribution in an Urban Area: Socio-ecological Evidence from a Socially Diverse Locality in Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Aedes albopictus distribution in urban area of Pakistan

Abstract

Gulistan colony is a small and diverse urban patch in Rawalpindi. It is located alongside one of the biggest parks in the region, the Ayub Park. The park and its adjacent area, hosts many lakes, and hence supports lush green vegetation in the area. For this study ovitrap field sampling from the area was done which was used as input for the Maxent model for an analysis of high probability species distribution sites. Since, the area in focus is small, a high resolution bioclimatic variable dataset was constructed for the study area, using resampled satellite-based surface temperature and rainfall data. Qualitative analysis of the social determinants of vector growth and distribution was done, using a community survey. The study suggests that many of the green patches, particularly the ones alongside the main roads were the perfect breeding sites, for mosquitoes. This research also reported that land use landcover was the major determinant of carrier distribution, followed by bioclimatic variable Bio – 11 (temperature of the coldest quarter). It has also been observed that community practices of managing household water and waste can be a major contributing factor for the distribution of breeding of Aedes albopictus.