Mosquito Adaptation to the Extreme Habitats of Urban Construction Sites

Abstract

The construction industry employs millions of workers in the USA. However, little is known about how environmental disturbances caused by the construction industry impacts vector mosquito ecology and behavior, and whether it is responsible for increasing the abundance of mosquitoes. There is a major scientific gap on how to assess the occupational exposure risk of mosquito biting and arbovirus transmission among outdoor worker populations who spend a disproportionate amount of time working outdoors. In our opinion, it is critical to address how construction workers and the surrounding communities may be geographically and seasonally exposed to vector mosquitoes. Research should identify modifiable worker- and organizational-level factors that improve worksite mosquito-control practices to give insights into future vector-control strategies in urban environments.

Keywords: Zika; arbovirus; urbanization; vector mosquitoes.