China-large suspected meningitis epidemic

[Treyfish]

Re: China-large suspected meningitis epidemic

This story continues.. Pugmom Qingdao

Qingdao Municipal Health Secretary for cases involving major leak investigation was suspended from duty
2008-07-24 The article Source: Apollo Published :2008-07-24 Author:
July 15, 2008 Qingdao large-scale outbreak of the mysterious disease, suspected meningitis infection by the news network exposure, more recently, according to reliable sources said the Qingdao Municipal Health Bureau and the Secretary for the Director of Disease Control and other relevant departments in charge of persons suspected of a major leak and Cases of dereliction of duty has been suspended by the Qingdao City criminal investigations of national security.
Since the July 2008, Qingdao City, a large-scale outbreak of the mysterious epidemic and growing. To maintain smooth Aofan Sai, Qingdao was in charge authorities deliberately concealed the epidemic. July 12, the municipal government departments concerned this epidemic as a message of state secrets confidential. However, contrary to the expectations of Qingdao was in charge, July 15, "Qingdao large-scale outbreak of the mysterious disease, suspected meningitis infection" (related article: Qingdao cold medicines suspected explosive surge in demand for large-scale mysterious epidemic) is the news network was exposed.
Qingdao Municipal Health Bureau for the sake of self-protection, Pieqing and eager to stem leakage of the incident to the unusual speed of the leak immediately respond to the incident. July 17 Qingdao Municipal Health Bureau, through the media and networks in Qingdao epidemic "clarification" and However, the Qingdao Municipal Health Bureau clever manipulation of such practices just to the original outbreak was not aware of the concern about the epidemic began in Qingdao, many living in Qingdao, the Qingdao Tanwen local people have relatives and friends of the epidemic on the matter. Qingdao Municipal Health Bureau in this incident have become veritable "Jiaoju" so that the Administration was in charge of Qingdao into passive.
July 17, the Qingdao Municipal Health Bureau come forward soon after, Qingdao was in charge of the Administration is aware of the seriousness of the situation. Since this incident allegedly leaked, it was decided by the Qingdao City National Security Bureau come forward control developments. July 18, the domestic media on the Qingdao Municipal Health Bureau all the news was removed from the headlines, replaced by Qingdao City National Security Bureau issued a notice.
China has little legal knowledge may have been found, Qingdao City's National Security Bureau issued a notice of a major conflict. According to Chinese law, suspected of spreading rumors and disturbing social order of criminal cases belonging to the scope of the investigation public security organs, public security organs should be placed on file for investigation. Only for leaking state secrets, and so endanger national security cases before the National Security authorities jurisdiction. Qingdao City's National Security Bureau 5 notice, the first five so-called interference Aofan Sai does not belong to organized actually the responsibility of national security, visible, and the National Security Notice Zuiwengzhiyi is not the first five but the former four.
In fact, since July 17 in Qingdao City, the National Security Agency since taking over the case, they target the work of all classified staff and family members of patients. In order to more closely blockade news, Qingdao City, the National Security Agency issued a more stringent than the earlier closure order. The announcement of the true purpose is to warn all classified staff ---- who is not sealed by the ban will be in accordance with the crime of divulging state secrets held criminally liable. Not only that, all the patients and their families have been monitoring the National Security Bureau to send personal isolation, patients and family members have kept quiet out of fear, fear that prison have been leaked due to carelessness.
July 20, the CPC Central Committee General Secretary and State President and CMC Chairman Hu Jintao to visit Qingdao. Hu Jintao inspected Aofan Sai called this trip is to inspect preparations for Qingdao epidemic. Hu Jintao's trip to disclose the Central Administration of Qingdao was in charge of the extreme distrust and Qingdao on the progress of the epidemic control concerns. Immediately, on July 22 to spread the Secretary of Qingdao Municipal Health Bureau and relevant departments were primarily responsible for the investigation was suspended hearsay.
Now, in addition to several major classified staff, Qingdao epidemic was tight all the information blockade. Qingdao whether the epidemic has been effectively controlled the Or continue to expand the spread. All of this fear only God knows.
Coming a ?Qingdao City, the National Security Agency Notice!
Any organizations and individuals against acts of the People's Republic of China national security must be legal accountability. Acts endangering national security, refers to outside agencies, organizations, individuals or instigate, and others to the financing or in organizations, individuals and foreign agencies, organizations, individuals, the following colluded national security against the People's Republic of :
1 conspiring to subvert the government, split the country and overthrow the socialist system;
2 to participate in an espionage organization or accept an espionage organization and its agents of the task;
3 theft, spying, and buying and illegally providing state secrets;
4?instigated, seduce, and buying national staff mutiny;
5?endangering national security of other sabotage activities, in particular the attempt to interfere with and undermine the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Qingdao Aofan Sai smooth holding of potential safety problems, suspicious circumstances and unstable factors..... Admissibility: Qingdao City, the National Security Agency 7-25-08 http://yuming.flnet.org/news2/...

[Treyfish]

Re: China-large suspected meningitis epidemic

Another story found by Pugmom 7-24-08
Shandong Wendeng emerging infectious disease outbreak suspected New Tang Dynasty TV www.ntdtv.com 2008-7-24 08:14
In mid-July Tang Shengwen, Shandong, China City news came, the town of Tangerang on the concept of a village of 10,000 people mouth disease a sudden, every purple, seven holes bloody death. Immediately after the deceased and two were in contact with the same symptoms died. At present in the field of the villagers have been afraid to go home, the villagers suspected that this is a similar plague of infectious diseases.
According to a village of 10,000 population working outside the sources, in a period of 10 days suffering from this disease on the death of three people, there are six or seven individuals in Tangerang Hospital Center. Outside the village of the villagers do not know the current situation, go back to their families to prevent them. People are in discussions this is not the plague.
An interview to the 10,000 population of a village in southern male villagers confirmed the matter. He said the disease spread rapidly, in this village in the northern spread.
Reporter: Now the village is not an abnormal occurrence? Will Do you know this matter?
M: right right right.
Reporter: Now that some people are dead? Seems to have killed three people the right?
M: Yes. Now are afraid to go back to the.
Reporter: now are afraid to go back to the It has control of this illness?
M: The Biography Ting fast. Chuan is the general male, not a woman this disease. I belong to the south side, the general Chuan Chuan is the north.
The source also said that the city of Tangerang, higher-level people to see, do not know what is the disease, he said that the news of infectious diseases may have been the blockade. A subsequent call to Wendeng City of small town hospitals. A male doctor denied the occurrence of infectious diseases.
Doctor: ah do not have this disease. It is the ordinary people of their own panic.
Reporter: is also not dead right?
Doctor: people are dead. That you do not know, ah, you know that one is that it is not infectious diseases.
Reporter: Several people died? If it is not infectious diseases, not several people dead?
Doctor: Several people died I do not know, you ask this matter I can not tell you the number of people dead. Reporter trying to make the announcement on the official website of Wendeng City and Yantai City sanitation and epidemic prevention departments of the telephone, but the defendant can not be connected to the wrong number. http://ntdtv.com/xtr/gb/2008/0...

[Treyfish]

Re: China-large suspected meningitis epidemic

Here is a snip from a large story that mentions the outbreak rumor.. Olympic difficult meningitis epidemic safely into top-secret First, an example, just to see a message, this news is the site of the Apollo by the disclosure, but also with a picture.

说青岛爆发了十六万人的流脑，流行脑炎。

Qingdao said the outbreak of the 160,000 people of ECM, the prevalence of encephalitis.

他说，奥运深化战打响了吗？

He said that the deepening of the Olympic Games started the war? ?

消息这么讲，进入零八年七月以来，青岛大学附属医院、青岛市立医院等各大医院，每天都挤满了数以万计的从青 岛市区，四面八方赶来的，以及从其它中小医院转诊过来的，疑似流感症状的人群。

Sources say so, enter the July 08, the Qingdao University Hospital, Qingdao City Hospital, and other large hospitals, every day, packed with tens of thousands of Qingdao from the urban area, rushed in all directions, as well as from other small and medium-sized Referral from the hospital, the crowd suspected flu symptoms.

这些患者共同的临床特征是具有剧烈的头痛、呕吐、高烧不退等状况。

These common in patients with clinical features is a severe headache, vomiting, high fever Butui and other conditions.

许多老人和儿童的症状更为激烈，往往还伴有肝、肾以及呼吸衰竭等并发症，截至到七月十五日，青岛市区范围内 ，累计感染人数达到十六万人，死亡一千二百五十一人。

Many elderly and children the symptoms more intense, often associated with liver, kidney and respiratory failure and other complications, as of July 15, Qingdao urban areas, the total number of infections to 160,000 people, killed 1,000 251 people.

但是随着感染人数不断增加，民间的恐惧情绪已经在不断蔓延。

But with the increasing number of infections, public sentiment has been in constant fear of the spread.

但是青岛市卫生部门为了安抚民众情绪，先是派专家通过媒体对外宣称是流行性感冒感染，并称该病不会大规模蔓 延，以期安抚民众不满。

But the health sector in Qingdao City in order to appease the public sentiment, first through the media, external experts is that influenza infection, said no large-scale spread of the disease, with a view to appease the public discontent.

但是随着人们身边病人人数和死亡人数在急剧增加，人们私下一直在猜测，这到底是什么病？

But as people around the number of patients and a sharp increase in the number of deaths, there has been speculation in private, in the end is what this disease ?

在这种压力下，在七月十二日，青岛市政府组织全市的卫生局、疾病控制中心有关人员召开研究会。

In such a pressure, in the July 12, the Qingdao municipal government organized the city's Health Bureau, the Centers for Disease Control study will be held on staff.

会上首次提出，此次传染病疑为流行性脑髓膜炎，其实简称就是流脑。

Was first proposed, the infectious disease epidemic Naosui of suspected meningitis, in fact, referred to the ECM.

为了确保即将召开奥运帆船比赛不会因此疫情而受到影响，会议明确提出，将此次疾病列为绝密、密级加以保密， 并要求各级卫生单位，对患者严格保守秘密，采取一切可能的强制措施隔离患者，此外还要内紧外松，对外仍要坚 称是流行感冒。

In order to ensure that the forthcoming Olympic sailing competition will not be affected by the epidemic, the meeting made clear, this disease will be classified as top secret, Miji be kept confidential, and urged all levels of health units, with strict confidentiality, to take all possible measures of Isolate patients, in addition to the tight, loose, still insisted that the external is pandemic flu.

而作为流感本身来讲，应该是每年的冬春季最流行的，而且是占急性、细菌性传染病的第一位。

The flu itself as speaking, should be the annual winter and spring the most popular, but also for acute bacterial sexually transmitted diseases first.

这个消息就是刚刚我们在网上看到的一个消息。

This news is we have just seen a news online..... http://209.85.171.104/translate_c?hl...o_-PAtwII_AkGw

[tropical]

Re: China-large suspected meningitis epidemic

For now WHO is publicly totaly shuted up about:

"Disease Outbreak News
Most recent news items

10 July 2008
<!-- date -->Case of Marburg Haemorrhagic Fever imported into the Netherlands from Uganda"
...
http://www.who.int/csr/don/en/index.html

and nothing under "China", and "travelers Health".

If it's real, it can't be that until now the big WHO health estab pot. don't receive any inner comm. info about it.
Or WHO conc. infos, or it's not so heavy.

[Giuseppe]

Re: China-large suspected meningitis epidemic

Marburg virus doesn't spread human to human.

Nosocomial transmission may happen and patients could infect other or relatives only after prolonged contacts with body fluids.

Use of needles and other medical equipment without sterilization could also transmit disease.

Other viral haemorrhagic fever or with hemorrhagic signs may be involved in local outbreaks, like hantavirus or crimea-congo hemorrhagic fever. Also, measles could develop into hemorrhagic in some cases, as well as rubella (at a less extent).

Bacterial infections may cause septic shock with skin hemorrhages, as meningococcal, pneumococcal, and all the other widespread pathogens like anthrax or yersinia pestis (plague).

Without proper laboratory examinations and clinical descriptions it is very hard to point a precise causative agent.

Thus, there is the need of an authoritative response to this increasing rumored incident.

[Commonground]

Re: China-large suspected meningitis epidemic

I am reminded of this post:

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showpost.php?p=150276&postcount=56

[tropical]

Re: China-large suspected meningitis epidemic

#11:
"Equally his matter with DBD, this kind virus was also spread through the mosquitoes bite aedes aegypti.
These mosquitoes could it was known fly in a radius of 200 metre.
This mosquitoes kind could only develop in the area that his height below 1.000 metre from the surface of sea water. (?!)
These mosquitoes precisely developed in the clean environment, not in the dirty environment."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aedes_aegypti

<TABLE class="infobox biota" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 2px; PADDING-LEFT: 2px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 2px; WIDTH: 200px; PADDING-TOP: 2px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><TBODY><TR style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><TH style="BACKGROUND: #d3d3a4">Scientific classification</TH></TR><TR style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><TD><TABLE style="BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0&#37; 0%; MARGIN: 0px auto; TEXT-ALIGN: left" cellPadding=2><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD>Kingdom:</TD><TD>Animalia

</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>Phylum:</TD><TD>Arthropoda

</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>Subphylum:</TD><TD>Hexapoda

</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>Class:</TD><TD>Insecta

</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>Subclass:</TD><TD>Pterygota

</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>Infraclass:</TD><TD>Neoptera

</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>Superorder:</TD><TD>Endopterygota

</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>Order:</TD><TD>Diptera

</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>Family:</TD><TD>Culicidae

</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>Genus:</TD><TD>Aedes

</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD>Species:</TD><TD>A. aegypti

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR style="BACKGROUND: #d3d3a4"><TH>Binomial name</TH></TR><TR style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><TD>Aedes aegypti
<SMALL>(Linnaeus, 1762)</SMALL>
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Aedes aegypti, commonly known as the yellow fever mosquito, is a mosquito that can spread the dengue fever, Chikungunya and yellow fever viruses, and other diseases as well. The mosquito can be recognized by white markings and a marking of the form of a lyre on the thorax, although other mosquitos may have only slightly different patterns.<SUP class="noprint Template-Fact">[citation needed]</SUP> The mosquito is most frequently found in the tropics<SUP class=reference id=cite_ref-0>[1]</SUP>; it has some presence in the southeastern United States (such as the lower half of Florida), but it seems to have been competitively displaced by the introduction of Aedes albopictus<SUP class="noprint Template-Fact">[citation needed]</SUP>.
<TABLE class=toc id=toc summary=Contents><TBODY><TR><TD>Contents

[hide]

• <LI class=toclevel-1>1 Genomics <LI class=toclevel-1>2 Spread of disease and prevention <LI class=toclevel-1>3 References
• 4 External links

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><SCRIPT type=text/javascript>//<![CDATA[ if (window.showTocToggle) { var tocShowText = "show"; var tocHideText = "hide"; showTocToggle(); } //]]></SCRIPT>

[edit] Genomics

The genome of this species of mosquito was sequenced by a consortium including scientists at the J Craig Venter Institute and the University of Notre Dame, and published in 2007. The effort in sequencing its DNA was intended to provide new avenues for research into insecticides and possible genetic modification to prevent the spread of disease. This was the second mosquito species to have its genome sequenced in full (the first was Anopheles gambiae). The published data included the 1.38 billion base pairs containing the insect's estimated 15,419 protein encoding genes. The sequence indicates that the species diverged from Drosophila melanogaster (the common fruit fly) about 250 million years ago, and that Anopheles gambiae and this species diverged about 150 million years ago.<SUP class=reference id=cite_ref-1>[2]</SUP><SUP class=reference id=cite_ref-2>[3]</SUP>

[edit] Spread of disease and prevention


Larva of Aedes aegypti


The CDC traveler's page on preventing dengue fever suggests using mosquito repellents that contain DEET (N, N-diethylmetatoluamide). It also explains the following:

1. Although it may feed at any time, the mosquito bites humans only between a few hours after dawn until an hour or so after sunset.
2. The mosquito's preferred breeding areas are in areas of stagnant water, such as flower vases, uncovered barrels, buckets, and discarded tires, but the most dangerous areas are wet shower floors and toilet tanks, as they allow the mosquitos to breed right in the residence. Research has shown that certain chemicals emanating from bacteria in water containers stimulate the female mosquitoes to lay their eggs. They are particularly motivated to lay eggs in water containers that have just the right amounts of specific fatty acids associated with bacteria involved in the degradation of leaves and other organic matter in water. The chemicals associated with the microbial stew are far more stimulating to discerning female mosquitoes than plain water, for example, or filtered water in which the bacteria once lived.<SUP class=reference id=cite_ref-3>[4]</SUP>

[edit] References

1. <LI id=cite_note-0>^ <CITE style="FONT-STYLE: normal">Womack, M. (1993). "The yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti.". Wing Beats 5 (4): 4.</CITE> <LI id=cite_note-1>^ Heather Kowalski (2007-05-17). "Scientists at J. Craig Venter Institute Publish Draft Genome Sequence from Aedes aegypti, Mosquito Responsible for Yellow Fever, Dengue Fever". J. Craig Venter Institute. <LI id=cite_note-2>^ {{Nene V, Wortman JR, Lawson D, Haas B, Kodira C, Tu ZJ, Loftus B, Xi Z, Megy K, Grabherr M, Ren Q, Zdobnov EM, Lobo NF, Campbell KS, Brown SE, Bonaldo MF, Zhu J, Sinkins SP, Hogenkamp DG, Amedeo P, Arensburger P, Atkinson PW, Bidwell S, Biedler J, Birney E, Bruggner RV, Costas J, Coy MR, Crabtree J, Crawford M, Debruyn B, Decaprio D, Eiglmeier K, Eisenstadt E, El-Dorry H, Gelbart WM, Gomes SL, Hammond M, Hannick LI, Hogan JR, Holmes MH, Jaffe D, Johnston JS, Kennedy RC, Koo H, Kravitz S, Kriventseva EV, Kulp D, Labutti K, Lee E, Li S, Lovin DD, Mao C, Mauceli E, Menck CF, Miller JR, Montgomery P, Mori A, Nascimento AL, Naveira HF, Nusbaum C, O'leary S, Orvis J, Pertea M, Quesneville H, Reidenbach KR, Rogers YH, Roth CW, Schneider JR, Schatz M, Shumway M, Stanke M, Stinson EO, Tubio JM, Vanzee JP, Verjovski-Almeida S, Werner D, White O, Wyder S, Zeng Q, Zhao Q, Zhao Y, Hill CA, Raikhel AS, Soares MB, Knudson DL, Lee NH, Galagan J, Salzberg SL, Paulsen IT, Dimopoulos G, Collins FH, Birren B, Fraser-Liggett CM, Severson DW (2007) Genome sequence of Aedes aegypti, a major arbovirus vector. Science 316:1718-23.}}
2. ^ Lay Your Eggs Here Newswise, Retrieved on July 8, 2008.

[edit] External links

• VectorBase's genomic resource for Aedes aegypti
• A page that has an image of Aedes aegypti
• Aedes aegypti page from University of Sydney, Australia
• Aedes aegypti and Dengue fever
• United States CDC page on dengue fever containing information on prevalence of Aedes aegypti worldwide and past efforts to eradicate it
• Aedes aegypti at the Encyclopedia of Life

Wikispecies has information related to: Aedes aegypti

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Aedes aegypti


<!-- NewPP limit reportPreprocessor node count: 1013/1000000Post-expand include size: 9832/2048000 bytesTemplate argument size: 2572/2048000 bytesExpensive parser function count: 2/500--><!-- Saved in parser cache with key enwiki:pcache:idhash:2236780-0!1!0!default!!en!2 and timestamp 20080721072443 -->Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aedes_aegypti"


___________

Maybe are both Aedes - the Albopictus also.

___________

http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/aquatic/asian_tiger.htm

<CENTER></CENTER><HR>common name: Asian tiger mosquito
scientific name: Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Insecta: Diptera: Culicidae)

Introduction - Distribution - Description - Life Cycle - Medical Significance - Surveillance and Management of Aedes albopictus - Selected References

Introduction

The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus (Skuse), was first documented in the United States in Texas in 1985 (Sprenger and Wuithiranyagool 1986). A year later, the Asian tiger mosquito was found in Florida at a tire dump site near Jacksonville (O'Meara 1997). Since that time, this species has spread rapidly throughout the eastern states, including all of Florida's 67 counties (O'Meara 1997). The arrival of Aedes albopictus has been correlated with the decline in the abundance and distribution of the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus). There are a number of possible explanations for the competitive exclusion of Ae. aegypti by Ae. albopictus. The decline is likely due to a combination of (a) sterility of offspring from interspecific matings; (b) reduced fitness of Ae. aegypti from parasites brought in with Ae. albopictus and; (c) superiority of Ae. albopictus in larval resource competition (Lounibos 2002). The distribution of Ae. aegypti currently is limited to the southeastern quadrant of the U.S., and small areas in New York and Arizona (Darsie and Ward 2005).
Aedes albopictus is a competent vector of many viruses including dengue fever (CDC 2001) and Eastern equine encephalitis virus (Mitchell et al. 1992). Its life cycle is closely associated with human habitat, and it breeds in containers with standing water, often tires or other containers. It is a daytime feeder and can be found in shady areas where it rests in shrubs near the ground (Koehler and Castner 1997). Aedes albopictus feeding peaks in the early morning and late afternoon; it is an opportunistic and aggressive biter with a wide host range including man, domestic and wild animals (Hawley 1988).

adult Distribution

The distribution of Aedes albopictus is subtropical, with a temperate distribution in North America, and in the United States has expanded rapidly over the past few years. This species was first documented in Texas in 1985 and is currently established in 866 counties in 26 states (CDC 2001).
US distribution
The worldwide distribution includes most of Asia and covers tropical and subtropical regions worldwide with introductions into the Caribbean (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 1989). Endemic to Asia and the Pacific islands, the range has greatly expanded to include North and South America, Africa and Europe (O'Meara 1997).
Description

Adult Aedes albopictus are easily recognized by the bold black shiny scales and distinct silver white scales on the palpus and tarsi (Hawley 1988). The scutum (back) is black with a distinguishing white stripe down the center beginning at the dorsal surface of the head and continuing along the thorax. It is a medium-sized mosquito (approximately 2.0 to 10.0 mm, males are on average 20% smaller than females). Differences in morphology between male and female include the antennae of the male are plumous and mouthparts are modified for nectar feeding. The abdominal tergites are covered in dark scales. Legs are black with white basal scales on each tarsal segment. The abdomen narrows into a point characteristic of the genus Aedes. Field identification is very easy because of these distinct features.
adult - lateral view
adult with white dorsal stripe

For a pictorial key (that includes the larval, pupal and adult stage for many common Florida mosquitoes) to identify Ae. albopictus and other mosquitoes of Florida, see: http://fmel.ifas.ufl.edu/Key/index.htm. Life Cycle

Aedes albopictus overwinter in the egg stage in temperate climates (Lyon and Berry 2000) but are active throughout the year in tropical and subtropical habitats. Eggs are laid singly on the sides of water-holding containers such as tires, animal watering dishes, birdbaths, flowerpots and natural holes in vegetation (Hawley 1988). They are black and oval with a length of 0.5 mm. Eggs can withstand desiccation up to one year. Larval emergence occurs after rainfall raises the water level in the containers. The eggs may require several submersions before hatching (Hawley 1988). Additionally, oxygen (O<SUB>2</SUB>) tension greatly affects egg hatch (Hawley 1988). A number of studies have shown low O<SUB>2</SUB> tension stimulates the hatching of Aedes albopictus eggs and is a more important factor than flooding or temperature on inducing egg hatch (Hawley 1988). Development is temperature dependent, but the larvae usually pupate after five to ten days and the pupal stage lasts two days (Hawley 1988). Larvae, also called wigglers, are active feeders. They feed on fine particulate organic matter in the water. The larvae use a breathing siphon to acquire oxygen and must periodically come to the surface to do so. The larvae develop through four instars prior to pupation. Unlike many other insects, the pupae of mosquitoes are active and short-lived. They do not feed but can move about.
For more information see the Public Health Pesticide Applicator Training Manual - Mosquitoes, at http://vector.ifas.ufl.edu/chapter_03.htm.
larva

pupa Medical Significance

Aedes albopictus is known to be a competent laboratory vector of more than 30 viruses. Of these 30 only a few are known to affect humans; they are eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), Cache Valley virus, dengue, St. Louis and LaCrosse encephalitis viruses (CDC 2001, Hawley 1988). Despite being featured as the ferocious tiger mosquito (ABC news 2001) it has not been found to be a significant health concern and is in fact a less efficient vector than other Aedes mosquitoes. Aedes albopictus has been implicated in the transmission of dengue, but this is not a major vector.

Aedes aegypti is the most competent vector of dengue virus (Gulber 1998). The Asian tiger mosquito is considered a maintenance vector and occasionally is involved with dengue transmission in Asia (CDC 2001). Dengue virus was isolated from collections of Ae. albopictus in Mexico after an epidemic (Lounibos 2002). Despite occasional viral isolations, there is no evidence that this mosquito is a public health threat in the United States. There is one isolated incidence in Polk County, Florida where Ae. albopictus was implicated in the transmission of eastern equine encephalitis in 1991 (Moore and Mitchell 1997). More recently there was an isolation of La Crosse virus found in field collected Ae. albopictus in North Carolina (Gerhardt et al. 2001). The implications of these findings are that this mosquito should be monitored for disease activity, but at this time should not be considered a public health threat. Surveillance and Management of Aedes albopictus

After entering the United States almost twenty years ago, Aedes albopictus has spread throughout much of the eastern states. The mosquito was most likely transported along highways and other major roadways in shipments of used tires imported from other countries for retreading. On January 1988, the U.S. Public Health Service required all used tires entering the U.S. from known endemic countries be dry, clean and treated with fumigants (Moore and Mitchell 1997). Surveillance for Ae. albopictus was initiated in 1986 and this species continues to be monitored by public health agencies (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 1989).
Management of adult populations is more complicated than for other species due to insecticide tolerance to malathion, temephos and bediocarb (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 1987). In many suburban areas, complaints to health departments are more frequently due to Ae. albopictus than in former years when Ae. aegypti was the most commonly reported nuisance mosquito (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 1989). Source reduction is an effective way for people in the community to manage the populations of many mosquitoes, especially container breeding species such as the Asian tiger. The removal of mosquito breeding habitat can be an effective method for mosquito control (Dame and Fasulo 2003).
Eliminate any standing water on the property, change pet watering dishes, overflow dishes for potted plants, and bird bath water frequently. Do not allow water to accumulate in tires, flower pots, buckets, rain barrels, gutters etc. Use personal protection to avoid mosquito bites. Long sleeves and insect repellent such as DEET will reduce exposure to bites. The Asian tiger mosquito is a day biter with feeding peaks early morning and late afternoon, so by limiting outdoor activities during crepuscular periods (dawn and dusk) when mosquitoes are generally most active, bites can be avoided.

Mosquito Management publications
Use and Application of DEET Repellent Selected References

• ABC news. 2001. Ferocious tiger mosquito invades the United States. July 30.
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<HR>
Authors: Leslie Rios, and James E. Maruniak, University of Florida
Photographs and Images: Michele M. Cutwa and James L. Castner, University of Florida; James Gathany, and the Center for Disease Control Public Health Image Library
Project Coordinator: Thomas R. Fasulo, University of Florida
Publication Number: EENY-319
Publication Date: April 2004. Latest revision: May 2008.
Copyright 2004-2008 University of Florida

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