Aedes albopictusis present in the lowlands of southern Zambia

Abstract

ABSTRACTIdentifying the current geographic range of disease vectors is a critical first step towards determining effective mechanisms for controlling and potentially eradicating them. This is particularly true given that historical vector ranges may expand due to changing climates and human activity. TheAedessubgenusStegomyiacontains over 100 species, and among them,Ae. aegyptiandAe. albopictusmosquitoes represent the largest concern for public health, spreading dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. WhileAe. aegyptihas been observed in the country of Zambia for decades,Ae. albopictushas not. In 2015 we sampled four urban and two rural areas in Zambia forAedesspecies. Using DNA barcoding, we confirmed the presence of immature and adultAe. albopictusat two rural sites: Siavonga and Livingstone. These genotypes seem most closely related to specimens previously collected in Mozambique based on CO1 sequence from mtDNA. We resampled Siavonga and Livingstone sites in 2019, again observing immature and adultAe. albopictusat both sites. RelativeAe. albopictusfrequencies were similar between sites, with the exception of immature life stages, which were higher in Siavonga than in Livingstone in 2019. WhileAe. albopictusfrequencies did not vary through time in Livingstone, both immature and adult frequencies increased through time in Siavonga. This report serves to document the presence ofAe. albopictusin Zambia, which will contribute to the process of determining the potential public health implications of this disease vector in Central Africa.