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Tahir F, Bansal D, Rehman AU, Ajjur SB, Skariah S, Belhaouari SB, Al-Romaihi H, Al-Thani MHJ, Farag E, Sultan AA, Al-Ghamdi SG. Assessing the impact of climate conditions on the distribution of mosquito species in Qatar. Front Public Health 2023; 10:970694. [PMID: 36726636 PMCID: PMC9885044 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.970694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Qatar is a peninsular country with predominantly hot and humid weather, with 88% of the total population being immigrants. As such, it leaves the country liable to the introduction and dissemination of vector-borne diseases, in part due to the presence of native arthropod vectors. Qatar's weather is expected to become warmer with the changing climatic conditions across the globe. Environmental factors such as humidity and temperature contribute to the breeding and distribution of different types of mosquito species in a given region. If proper and timely precautions are not taken, a high rate of particular mosquito species can result in the transmission of various vector-borne diseases. In this study, we analyzed the environmental impact on the probability of occurrence of different mosquito species collected from several different sites in Qatar. The Naive Bayes model was used to calculate the posterior probability for various mosquito species. Further, the resulting Naive Bayes predictions were used to define the favorable environmental circumstances for identified mosquito species. The findings of this study will help in the planning and implementation of an active surveillance system and preventive measures to curb the spread of mosquitoes in Qatar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Furqan Tahir
- Division of Sustainable Development, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Devendra Bansal
- Department of Health Protection and Communicable Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Doha, Qatar
| | - Atiq ur Rehman
- Division of Information and Computing Technology, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar,Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Pak-Austria Fachhochschule Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology, Haripur, Pakistan
| | - Salah B. Ajjur
- Division of Sustainable Development, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Sini Skariah
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Cornell University, Qatar Foundation-Education City, Doha, Qatar
| | - Samir B. Belhaouari
- Division of Information and Computing Technology, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Hamad Al-Romaihi
- Department of Health Protection and Communicable Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Doha, Qatar
| | - Mohammed H. J. Al-Thani
- Department of Health Protection and Communicable Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Doha, Qatar
| | - Elmoubasher Farag
- Department of Health Protection and Communicable Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Doha, Qatar
| | - Ali A. Sultan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Cornell University, Qatar Foundation-Education City, Doha, Qatar
| | - Sami G. Al-Ghamdi
- Division of Sustainable Development, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar,Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia,*Correspondence: Sami G. Al-Ghamdi ✉
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Farag EABA, Bansal D, Mardini K, Sultan AA, Al-Thani MHJ, Al-Marri SA, Al-Hajri M, Al-Romaihi H, Schaffner F. Identification and characterisation of mosquitoes from different locations in Qatar in 2017-2019. Parasite 2021; 28:84. [PMID: 34928206 PMCID: PMC8686829 DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2021079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Mosquito-borne infections have considerable consequences for public health. The mere presence of a single case of vector-borne disease (VBD) introduces a risk to the local community particularly when associated with the compatible vector, host, and suitable environmental factors. Presently, there is no well-established vector control and surveillance programme in Qatar; therefore, the likelihood of VBDs spreading is undetermined. As a result, there is a pressing need to address this gap and enable successful management of VBDs. This study presents the results of three consecutive field surveys conducted between 2017 and 2019 with the aim of defining the types and distribution of mosquitoes that are of public health importance in Qatar. The results of the adult mosquito trappings show that the southern house mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus is the most widespread and abundant mosquito species, followed by Cx. perexiguus, both species representing a risk of West Nile virus transmission. All sampling methods show that the malaria vector Anopheles stephensi is widespread including in urbanised areas, suggesting a risk of local malaria transmission. The wetland mosquito Aedes caspius is also widespread, representing a risk of Rift Valley fever virus transmission. The dengue vector Ae. aegypti was not detected and can be considered neither widespread nor abundant, suggesting a minimal risk for local transmission of dengue, chikungunya and Zika viruses. Interestingly, the study detected Culiseta longiareolata for the first time in Qatar. Regular field studies are needed to further address the knowledge gaps in terms of distribution, ecology, and biting habits of different mosquito species currently present in Qatar to accurately assess the risk of mosquito-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ali A Sultan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, Doha, Qatar
| | | | | | | | | | - Francis Schaffner
- Francis Schaffner Consultancy, 4125 Riehen, Switzerland - National Centre for Vector Entomology, Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse and Medical Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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