Wednesday, December 12, 2007
D0598

Influence of multiple vector species on arbovirus transmission dynamics

Cynthia Lord, clord@ufl.edu, University of Florida, Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, 200 9th Street SE, Vero Beach, FL

Many vector-borne pathogens are transmitted by more than one vector species sympatrically. The role of each species in the transmission dynamics will be a function of their relative vector competence, biting rate on different hosts, mortality and seasonal dynamics, and is likely to vary in space and time. A modeling study was conducted to explore the interaction of different aspects of mosquito biology on the effect of multiple vectors in arbovirus transmission. The effects of seasonality were considered with two vectors identical in competence but with different seasonal abundance patterns. The model was used to integrate the effects of different components of vector competence and consider conditions under which multiple vectors would increase or decrease transmission.