Surveillance and Control for Anopheles sinensis Wiedemann at Taichung Airport

Min-Tsung Lin^1*, Cheo Lin², Hwa-Jen Teng², Pei-Fang Lai¹, Chih-chung Tu¹, Ching-Fen Ko¹, Min-Cheng Lin¹, Sung-Hsi Wei¹

2015 Vol.31 NO.3

Correspondence Author： Min-Tsung Lin

Abstract：

       Anopheles sinensis Wiedemann was not considered as important as An. minimus Theobald in spreading of malaria in Taiwan, but it is the main vector of Plasmodium vivax in China and South Korea. In mid-June 2013, the Central Regional Center District of Taiwan CDC at international terminal of Taichung Airport found female mosquitoes of An. sinensis attempting to suck blood the first time. In order to clarify the original source of mosquito, we reviewed the past surveys, conducted breeding–site survey and outdoor night time survey with light traps.  One adult male mosquito of An. sinensis was captured at the fence between airport and the factory of Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) and found one sand basin with larvae bred. 
       With no blood source in sand basin, An. sinensis was phototaxis and attracted by the  Apron floodlighting illuminated at night, and no air doors at the entrance, there was high risk for An. sinensis to follow human indoors. Also, there was a record of finding Culex Quinquefasciatus Say in aircrafts from dengue epidemic areas by sweeping. However, there was no flight route from/to malaria epidemic areas at Taichung airport and no malaria outbreak either in past year, so it had low possibility that the mosquito was introduced by aircrafts. 
       Since there was low density of adult An. sinensis in indoors and outdoors of terminals, we did not spray insecticides. Considering that drainage of sand basin might flow into irrigation canals and affect the environment, the biological control management, using larvivorous fish, Macropodus opercularis Ahl to decrease density of larvae. After one week, we did not find larvae and adult mosquito of An. sinensis and other mosquito species. Up to the end of September 2013, the surveillance of indoors and outdoors in Taichung Airport didn’t discover larvae and adult mosquitoes of An. sinensis anymore.
       It is recommended that surveying port mosquitoes should be collected simultaneously the local indoor and outdoor mosquito species, in order to establish basic information as reference to determine whether alien species mosquito appeared or not.