The markedly anthropophilic and endophilic behaviors of Aedes aegypti (L.) make it a very efficient vector of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. Although a large body of research has investigated the immature habitats and conditions for adult emergence, relatively few studies have focused on the indoor resting behavior and distribution of vectors within houses. We investigated the resting behavior of Ae. aegypti indoors in 979 houses of the city of Acapulco, Mexico, by performing exhaustive indoor mosquito collections to describe the rooms and height at which mosquitoes were found resting. In total, 1,403 adult and 747 female Ae. aegypti were collected, primarily indoors (98% adults and 99% females). Primary resting locations included bedrooms (44%), living rooms (25%), and bathrooms (20%), followed by kitchens (9%). Aedes aegypti significantly rested below 1.5 m of height (82% adults, 83% females, and 87% bloodfed females); the odds of finding adult Ae. aegypti mosquitoes below 1.5 m was 17 times higher than above 1.5 m. Our findings provide relevant information for the design of insecticide-based interventions selectively targeting the adult resting population, such as indoor residual spraying.
Keywords: dengue; indoor residual spraying; mosquito abundance; vector behavior.
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