Environmental and social-demographic predictors of the southern house mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus in New Orleans, Louisiana.
BACKGROUND
Understanding the major predictors of disease vectors such as mosquitoes can guide the development of effective and timely strategies for mitigating vector-borne disease outbreaks. This study examined the influence of selected environmental, weather and sociodemographic factors on the spatial and temporal distribution of the southern house mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus Say in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.


METHODS
Adult mosquitoes were collected over a 4-year period (2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010) using CDC gravid traps. Socio-demographic predictors were obtained from the United States Census Bureau, 2005-2009 American Community Survey and the City of New Orleans Department of Code Enforcement. Linear mixed effects models and ERDAS image processing software were used for statistical analysis and image processing.


RESULTS
Only two of the 22 predictors examined were significant predictors of Cx. quinquefasciatus abundance. Mean temperature during the week of mosquito collection was positively associated with Cx. quinquefasciatus abundance while developed high intensity areas were negatively associated with Cx. quinquefasciatus abundance.


CONCLUSION
The findings of this study illustrate the power and utility of integrating biophysical and sociodemographic data using GIS analysis to identify the biophysical and sociodemographic processes that increase the risk of vector mosquito abundance. This knowledge can inform development of accurate predictive models that ensure timely implementation of mosquito control interventions.
['Moise|Imelda K|IK|', 'Riegel|Claudia|C|', 'Muturi|Ephantus J|EJ|']
D000818:Animals D003465:Culex D004781:Environmental Exposure D000072138:Mosquito Vectors D055820:New Orleans D011157:Population Dynamics D062211:Spatio-Temporal Analysis D014887:Weather
Mosquitoes New Orleans GIS Hurricane Katrina Remote sensing