Tuesday, December 11, 2007 - 10:05 AM
0885

Combined sewage overflows (CSO) are major urban breeding sites for Culex quinquefasciatus in Atlanta, Georgia

Lisa Calhoun, lmca@umich.edu, Jodi Vanden Eng, JVandenEng@cdc.gov, Melissa Fox, MFAvery@cdc.gov, LeeAnn Jones, n/a, Gunarto Karina, n/a, Raymond King, rnk8@cdc.gov, Jacquelin Roberts, jmr1@cdc.gov, and Tom Burkot, TBurkot@cdc.gov. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Entomology Branch, 4770 Buford Highway, Mailstop F42, Atlanta, GA

A longitudinal study of mosquito ecology in Tanyard Creek, an urban stream in Atlanta, GA that receives combined storm-waste waste water effluent from the Atlanta combined sewage overflow system, was undertaken in 2006. Culex quinquefasciatus was the dominant species found, but Culex restuans was also abundant during the spring with limited numbers of Culex nigripalpis and Anopheles punctipennis also collected. Significant differences in mosquito densities were found with greater densities associated with side pools of water and stagnant water. Mosquito numbers are regulated largely by flooding of the stream by effluent discharges exceeding 15 kgal/min. These floods are associated with significant immediate reductions, but not complete elimination, of mosquitoes from Tanyard Creek. Mosquito numbers rebound within 5-10 days after such floods and rapidly reach high densities. Spatial analyses were conducted to determine if there are any significant relationships among adult mosquito abundance, West Nile Virus infected mosquitoes, the incidence of West Nile Virus human cases and proximity to the CSOs.


Species 1: Diptera Culicidae Culex quinquefasciatus (southern house mosquito)
Species 2: Diptera Culicidae Culex restuans (white dotted mosquito)