Strategies for effective mosquito control in constructed treatment wetlands

Constructed wetlands hold considerable promise for providing water quality and wildlife habitat benefits. At the same time, constructed wetlands have been described as “mosquito-friendly habitats” and may raise potential conflicts with neighboring human populations. Conflicts arise because some design features, such as shallow water and emergent vegetation that are essential for optimizing water quality polishing, can result in undesirable increases in mosquito production. The attraction of large numbers of birds to constructed wetlands could also increase the risk of transmission of mosquito-borne viral infections to humans in the vicinity of the wetland. The potential for conflict is typically highest in arid regions where natural mosquito populations have limited abundance and are found near newly urbanizing areas.The creation of wildlife habitat is a significant goal of many treatment wetlands. Humans are also welcome in many treatment wetlands for recreational and educational activities. Risks of disease transmission to humans and livestock as well as the inconvenience of mosquitoes as pests must be offset by the economic savings of inexpensive water quality enhancement and the resulting reduction in pollution that also poses a risk to society’s health and well-being. Ecological risks associated with the use of mosquito control chemicals must be offset by the increased habitat benefits provided by these constructed wetlands. The right balance between these competing goals can be recognized by the design that provides the greatest net environmental and societal benefit. This paper describes these tradeoffs between mosquito control and the constructed wetland technology and provides a synthesis of information that can be used to optimize the benefits of these wetland systems. Basic research is recommended to better define the cost-effectiveness of the various design and management options.     

A research framework for identifying potential linkages between isolated wetlands and disease ecology

Isolated wetlands are ideal model systems to examine linkages between environmental change, complex food webs, and the ecology of mosquito-borne diseases. Through long-term studies, we have evaluated the diversity among plant, invertebrate, and amphibian species of relatively undisturbed isolated wetlands. Based on preliminary evidence from impaired wetlands, we have developed a conceptual model to examine how human land use and climate change may affect wetland ecosystem functions that ultimately link to the proliferation of mosquito-borne diseases through the alteration of food webs and mosquito habitat. Our research framework initially requires the development of a wetland condition ranking system for a large group of isolated wetlands based on potential habitat for mosquitoes that vector disease. Secondly, it identifies potential changes in ecosystem function that specifically address the role of aquatic fauna in mediating mosquito-borne infectious diseases. Ultimately, understanding ecological functions and services will help focus the need for better management practices and potential regulation of impacts to isolated wetland habitats in the USA.     

Molecular Epidemiology of Japanese Encephalitis Virus in Mosquitoes in Taiwan during 2005–2012

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a mosquito-borne zoonotic disease caused by the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). Pigs and water birds are the main amplifying and maintenance hosts of the virus. In this study, we conducted a JEV survey in mosquitoes captured in pig farms and water bird wetland habitats in Taiwan during 2005 to 2012. A total of 102,633 mosquitoes were collected. Culex tritaeniorhynchus was the most common mosquito species found in the pig farms and wetlands. Among the 26 mosquito species collected, 11 tested positive for JEV by RT-PCR, including Cx. tritaeniorhynchus, Cx. annulus, Anopheles sinensis, Armigeres subalbatus, and Cx. fuscocephala. Among those testing positive, Cx. tritaeniorhynchus was the predominant vector species for the transmission of JEV genotypes I and III in Taiwan. The JEV infection rate was significantly higher in the mosquitoes from the pig farms than those from the wetlands. A phylogenetic analysis of the JEV envelope gene sequences isolated from the captured mosquitoes demonstrated that the predominant JEV genotype has shifted from genotype III to genotype I (GI), providing evidence for transmission cycle maintenance and multiple introductions of the GI strains in Taiwan during 2008 to 2012. This study demonstrates the intense JEV transmission activity in Taiwan, highlights the importance of JE vaccination for controlling the epidemic, and provides valuable information for the assessment of the vaccine''s efficacy.     

Immature mosquitoes in agricultural wetlands of the coastal plain of Georgia,U.S.A.: Effects of landscape and environmental habitat characteristics

This study is the first to report on the relationships between immature mosquitoes (larvae and pupae) and landscape and environmental habitat characteristics in wetlands associated with row crop agriculture. Indicator species analysis (ISA) was used to test for associations among mosquito species and groups of wetland sites with similar Landscape Development Intensity (LDI) values. Results indicated that Anopheles quadrimaculatus, Culex erraticus, and Psorophora columbiae were associated with agricultural wetlands (LDI > 2.0), whereas Anopheles crucians and Culex territans were associated with forested reference wetlands (LDI < 2.0) in both wet and dry years. The species fidelity to wetland type, regardless of the hydrologic regime, demonstrates these species are robust indicators of wetland condition. Data on immature mosquito assemblages were compared to selected landscape and environmental habitat variables using Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC_c) model selection. LDI indices, dissolved oxygen concentration, the proportion of emergent vegetation, and the proportion of bare ground in wetlands were important factors associated with the selected mosquito species. These results indicate that LDI indices are useful in predicting the distributions of disease vectors or other nuisance mosquito species across broad geographic areas. Additionally, these results suggest mosquitoes are valuable bioindicators of wetland condition that reflect land use and hydrologic variability.     

Wetlands and human health: an overview

This paper provides an introduction to the Wetlands and Human Health special issue and an overview of the papers. It identifies the disjunct that can exist between managing wetland health and human health. There is a need to resolve the potential conflict between managing wetlands for their values and managing them for positive human health outcomes. All authors have used the Ramsar definition of wetlands and the World Health Organization definition of human health. The papers (several are reviews) cover a range of wetlands and diseases from mosquito-borne to snail or pathogen vectors. Mosquito management is a common theme, illustrating, for the eastern USA, that wetland damage from the early to mid twentieth century can be ameliorated by careful restoration and, for Australia, that damage may be avoided. Constructed wetlands provide an opportunity to create ecosystem services and wetland value such that careful design and operation can minimise mosquito risks. Although the papers focus on negative health impacts of wetlands they deal with these to minimise health risks while restoring or maintaining wetland function or by exploring knowledge needs that would facilitate wise management.     

Chromium removal in constructed wetlands: A review

The distribution, mobility and availability of metals in the environment depend not only on their total concentration but also on their formations and bounds with the soil. Hexavalent chromium is a very toxic, metal compound, frequently found in polluted industrial wastewaters, and causes serious environmental problems. The potential application of constructed wetlands in the treatment of chromium bearing wastewaters has been reported recently. This paper reviews research on constructed wetlands treating chromium polluted wastewaters, and focuses on several design and operational parameters. The review highlights the effect of vegetation type, hydraulic residence time and porous media type on wetland performance. Constructed wetlands have been proved to be rather efficient at treating chromium containing wastewaters.     

Epoxide hydrolase activities and epoxy fatty acids in the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus

Culex mosquitoes have emerged as important model organisms for mosquito biology, and are disease vectors for multiple mosquito-borne pathogens, including West Nile virus. We characterized epoxide hydrolase activities in the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus, which suggested multiple forms of epoxide hydrolases were present. We found EH activities on epoxy eicosatrienoic acids (EETs). EETs and other eicosanoids are well-established lipid signaling molecules in vertebrates. We showed EETs can be synthesized in vitro from arachidonic acids by mosquito lysate, and EETs were also detected in vivo both in larvae and adult mosquitoes by LC-MS/MS. The EH activities on EETs can be induced by blood feeding, and the highest activity was observed in the midgut of female mosquitoes. The enzyme activities on EETs can be inhibited by urea-based inhibitors designed for mammalian soluble epoxide hydrolases (sEH). The sEH inhibitors have been shown to play diverse biological roles in mammalian systems, and they can be useful tools to study the function of EETs in mosquitoes. Besides juvenile hormone metabolism and detoxification, insect epoxide hydrolases may also play a role in regulating lipid signaling molecules, such as EETs and other epoxy fatty acids, synthesized in vivo or obtained from blood feeding by female mosquitoes.     

Upland Forest Linkages to Seasonal Wetlands: Litter Flux, Processing, and Food Quality

The flux of materials across ecosystem boundaries has significant effects on recipient systems. Because of edge effects, seasonal wetlands in upland forest are good systems to explore these linkages. The purpose of this study was to examine flux of coarse particulate organic matter as litter fall into seasonal wetlands in Minnesota, and the relationship of this flux to development of mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti). We hypothesized that litter flux into seasonal wetlands was dominated by upland plant litter that was lower quality and slower to breakdown than wetland litter, and that development rate of mosquitoes reared on upland litter was less than those reared on wetland litter. Of total litter fall into the wetlands, 71% originated in upland forest. Carbon to nitrogen ratios differed between upland litter (mostly sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) leaves) and wetland litter (mostly black ash (Fraxinus nirgra) leaves), averaging 63.9 and 47.7, respectively over two years. Breakdown rate of black ash leaves was faster than upland leaves (k (day⁻¹) = 0.00329 and 0.00156, respectively), based on the average between wetland margins and centers. Development of mosquito larvae fed black ash leaves was faster than larvae fed upland leaves. Our results demonstrate linkages between upland forests and seasonal wetlands through litter fall. The abundance of upland litter in the wetlands may influence litter breakdown and carbon assimilation by invertebrates. Wetlands receiving high amounts of upland versus wetland litter may be lower quality habitats for invertebrates that depend on detrital pools for their development.     

Effects of nutrients on mosquitoes and an emergent macrophyte,Schoenoplectus maritimus,for use in treatment wetlands

Schoenoplectus maritimus (alkali bulrush) has desirable attributes, such as a short growth habit (height of mature stands < 1.5 m) and annual senescence, for a potential alternative to tall (height > 3 m) emergent macrophytes in shallow constructed treatment wetlands treating ammonium‐dominated wastewater. The effects of different ammonium nitrogen (NH₄‐N) levels on alkali bulrush growth and its ability to take up nutrients from the wastewater, as well as on mosquito production, across the range of NH₄‐N found in constructed wetlands of southern California are unknown. We evaluated the effects of enrichment with NH₄‐N on mosquito production and on the nutrient uptake and growth of alkali bulrush in two studies. Overall, significantly greater numbers (> 50%) of immature mosquitoes (mainly Culex tarsalis) were found in mesocosms enriched with NH₄‐N than in mesocosms receiving ambient (<0.3 mg/liter) NH₄‐N. High NH₄‐N enrichment (up to 60 mg/liter) did not adversely impact the height and stem density of S. maritimus, although a significant decrease in biomass was observed at the highest enrichment level. Nitrogen uptake by alkali bulrush increased directly with NH₄‐N enrichment, whereas carbon was conserved in the above‐ground biomass across the enrichment gradient. Alkali bulrush is recommended for use as part of integrated mosquito management programs for moderately enriched, multipurpose, constructed treatment wetlands that improve water quality as well as provide wetland habitat for waterfowl.     

The role of constructed wetlands in secondary effluent treatment and water reuse in subtropical and arid Australia

Water reclamation and reuse is being actively promoted in Australia. In Queensland, surface-flow constructed wetlands with a diversity of macrophyte types offer the greatest potential for effluent polishing. Constructed wetlands in subtropical climates in coastal regions and arid climates in inland western regions are conducive to high macrophyte growth rates and nutrient removal, in particular nitrogen, producing an effluent suitable for irrigation, restoration of wetlands and/or release into natural waterways. Faecal-coliform removal is also high, producing effluent with <1000 cfu/100 mL and as low as 100 cfu/100 mL, acceptable for agricultural irrigation. Constructed wetlands can be designed to maximise the removal of both nutrients and pathogens by enhancing macrophyte diversity and natural disinfection processes by incorporating lagoons, shallow-water wetlands and subsurface-flow wetlands into the treatment train. Surface-flow wetlands can also be designed to minimise mosquito breeding by increasing macro-invertebrate predators, thereby alleviating community concerns about potential health risks. This paper addresses the role of constructed wetlands in nutrient and pathogen removal in Queensland's wetlands, and presents three case studies with respect to effluent reuse.     

Treatment of dairy wastewater using constructed wetlands and intermittent sand filters

In Ireland, the most common method of disposal of dairy parlour washings is by land spreading. This treatment method has numerous problems, namely high-labour requirements and the potential for eutrophication of surface and ground waters. Constructed wetlands are commonly used for treatment of secondary municipal wastewaters and they have been gaining popularity for treatment of agricultural wastewaters in Ireland. Intermittent sand filtration may offer an alternative to traditional treatment methods. As well as providing comparable treatment performance, they also have a smaller footprint, due to the substantially higher organic loading rates that may be applied to their surfaces. This paper discusses the performance and design criteria of constructed wetlands for the treatment of domestic and agricultural wastewater, and sand filters for the treatment of domestic wastewater. It also proposes sand filtration as an alternative treatment mechanism for agricultural wastewater and suggests design guidelines.     

Seasonal dynamics and habitat specificity of mosquitoes in an English wetland: implications for UK wetland management and restoration

We engaged in field studies of native mosquitoes in a Cambridgeshire Fen, investigating a) the habitat specificity and seasonal dynamics of our native fauna in an intensively managed wetland, b) the impact of water‐level and ditch management, and c) their colonization of an arable reversion to flooded grassland wetland expansion project. Studies from April to October, 2010 collected 14,000 adult mosquitoes (15 species) over 292 trap‐nights and ～4,000 pre‐imaginal mosquitoes (11 species). Open floodwater species (Aedes caspius and Aedes cinereus, 43.3%) and wet woodland species (Aedes cantans/annulipes and Aedes rusticus, 32.4%) dominated, highlighting the major impact of seasonal water‐level management on mosquito populations in an intensively managed wetland. In permanent habitats, managing marginal ditch vegetation and ditch drying significantly affect densities of pre‐imaginal anophelines and culicines, respectively. This study presents the first UK field evidence of the implications of wetland expansion through arable reversion on mosquito colonization. Understanding the heterogeneity of mosquito diversity, phenology, and abundance in intensively managed UK wetlands will be crucial to mitigating nuisance and vector species through habitat management and biocidal control.     

Small‐stature emergent macrophytes and crepuscular sprinkler disturbance reduce mosquito abundance in wetland mesocosms

The impact of emergent macrophyte species and crepuscular sprinkler disturbance on mosquito abundance over a 2‐year period was measured in wetland mesocosms. Mosquito oviposition and abundance of immature mosquitoes and aquatic invertebrates were monitored in monotypic plots of small‐stature (height of mature stands <1.5 m) alkali bulrush (Schoenoplectus maritimus) and large‐stature (height of mature stands > 2 m) California bulrush (Schoenoplectus californicus) without or with daily sprinkler showers to deter mosquito egg laying. Relative to wetlands without operational sprinklers, oviposition by culicine mosquitoes was reduced by > 99% and immature mosquito abundance was reduced by > 90% by crepuscular sprinkler applications. Mosquito abundance or distribution in wetlands did not differ between the two bulrush species subjected to the sprinkler treatment. Alkali bulrush wetlands without daily sprinkler treatments contained more egg rafts but significantly fewer mosquito larvae than did California bulrush wetlands. Predaceous damselfly naiads were 3–5 times more abundant in alkali bulrush than in California bulrush. Stem density, rate of spread, and autumnal mortality of alkali bulrush were higher than for California bulrush. Replacement of large emergent macrophytes by smaller species may enhance the efficacy of integrated mosquito management programs to reduce mosquito‐transmitted disease cycles associated with multipurpose constructed wetlands used worldwide for water reclamation and habitat restoration.     

Biological diversity versus risk for mosquito nuisance and disease transmission in constructed wetlands in southern Sweden

In southern Sweden, many wetlands have been constructed, and maintaining or increasing biological diversity is often included in the aims. Some wetlands are constructed near human settlements, thus raising the problem of wetlands being associated with mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae). Increased biodiversity (including mosquito diversity) is considered desirable, whereas mosquito nuisance from a human point of view is not. Adult mosquito abundance, diversity and species assemblages of constructed wetlands were compared to natural wetlands. The potential of constructed wetlands for mosquito nuisance and transmission of mosquito-borne viruses was evaluated. The study areas included five constructed and four natural wetlands. Mosquito abundance and species richness were higher in the natural than in the constructed wetlands, and showed a positive correlation with wetland size. Mosquito species assemblages formed three clusters, which were not explained by origin, size and water permanence of wetlands. In a redundancy analysis, however, mosquito faunas showed significant relationships with these variables, and size and origin of wetlands were most important. Major nuisance species (multivoltine species feeding on mammals and laying eggs on soil) were found in all wetlands, although in relatively low numbers. Risk assessment for Sindbis virus transmission showed moderate risk for two constructed wetlands near human settlements. It is concluded that small size of constructed wetlands has the advantage of low mosquito numbers from a human point of view. The use of functional groups is recommended as a tool for presenting mosquito data to the public, and for helping communication between scientists and administrative decision makers.     

Evidence for regular ongoing introductions of mosquito disease vectors into the Galápagos Islands

Wildlife on isolated oceanic islands is highly susceptible to the introduction of pathogens. The recent establishment in the Galápagos Islands of the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus, a vector for diseases such as avian malaria and West Nile fever, is considered a serious risk factor for the archipelago''s endemic fauna. Here we present evidence from the monitoring of aeroplanes and genetic analysis that C. quinquefasciatus is regularly introduced via aircraft into the Galápagos Archipelago. Genetic population structure and admixture analysis demonstrates that these mosquitoes breed with, and integrate successfully into, already-established populations of C. quinquefasciatus in the Galápagos, and that there is ongoing movement of mosquitoes between islands. Tourist cruise boats and inter-island boat services are the most likely mechanism for transporting Culex mosquitoes between islands. Such anthropogenic mosquito movements increase the risk of the introduction of mosquito-borne diseases novel to Galápagos and their subsequent widespread dissemination across the archipelago. Failure to implement and maintain measures to prevent the human-assisted transport of mosquitoes to and among the islands could have catastrophic consequences for the endemic wildlife of Galápagos.     

Ovitrap Monitor - Online application for counting mosquito eggs and visualisation toolbox in support of health services

Ovitraps are a widely used method for mosquito detection and monitoring, especially Aedes mosquitoes. Eggs present in ovitraps must be routinely counted to generate up-to-date information on potential spread of mosquito-borne diseases. This task is tedious, time consuming and prone to errors if done manually by eye counting. In this contribution, we introduce the Ovitrap Monitor, an online open source and user-friendly integrated application that semi-automatically counts mosquito eggs from low-medium resolution mobile phone pictures. A high correlation was found between counts performed manually by a technician and those obtained with the app using an extensive dataset of more than 750 ovitrap pictures. The application features an intuitive user interface and time-series plots and maps to facilitate data flow and speed up evidence-based decision-making within health organisations battling mosquito-borne diseases. Besides being open source, the Ovitrap Monitor is also backed by test data to guarantee its implementation through benchmarking and enforce research in the public health field.     

Avian Plasmodium lineages found in spot surveys of mosquitoes from 2007 to 2010 at Sakata wetland,Japan: do dominant lineages persist for multiple years?

The ecology and geographical distribution of disease vectors are major determinants of spatial and temporal variations in the transmission dynamics of vector‐borne pathogens. However, there are limited studies on the ecology of vectors that contribute to the natural transmission of most vector‐borne pathogens. Avian Plasmodium parasites are multihost mosquito‐borne pathogens transmitted by multiple mosquito species, which might regulate the diversity and persistence of these parasites. From 2007 to 2010, we conducted entomological surveys at Sakata wetland in central Japan, to investigate temporal variation in mosquito occurrence and prevalence of avian Plasmodium lineages in the mosquito populations. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐based method was used to detect Plasmodium parasites and identify the blood sources of mosquitoes. Culex inatomii and C. pipiens pallens represented 60.0% and 34.8% of 11 mosquito species collected, respectively. Our results showed that the two dominant mosquito species most likely serve as principal vectors of avian Plasmodium parasites during June, which coincides with the breeding season of bird species nesting in the wetland reed beds. Fourteen animal species were identified as blood sources of mosquitoes, with the oriental reed warbler (Acrocephalus orientalis) being the commonest blood source. Although there was significant temporal variation in the occurrence of mosquitoes and prevalence of Plasmodium lineages in the mosquitoes, the dominant Plasmodium lineages shared by the two dominant mosquito species were consistently found at the same time during transmission seasons. Because vector competence cannot be confirmed solely by PCR approaches, experimental demonstration is required to provide definitive evidence of transmission suggested in this study.     

人工湿地处理造纸废水后细菌群落结构变化

人工湿地通过模拟自然湿地的生态系统,能够实现污染物的去除,是一种高效经济的污水处理手段,但是对人工湿地处理后污水中细菌群落的研究较少。采集了造纸厂排污口和人工湿地出水口的水样,检测了溶解氧、pH值和盐度等水质指标,对主要污染物的含量进行了测定和分析,并利用DGGE技术对细菌群落的变化进行了研究。结果表明:(1)造纸污水经人工湿地处理后水质有明显提高;(2)人工湿地处理后细菌群落结构发生变化,优势菌由γ变形菌和衣原体变为α变形菌,而且微生物多样性指数Shannon-Wiener's降低;(3)人工湿地处理前污水中存在着大量致病微生物和降解微生物,处理后以环境友好的固氮菌和少量致病菌为主。研究结果揭示了人工湿地不仅可以去除造纸废水中的污染物,改善水质而且可以大大减少向环境中排放的致病微生物,防止由致病微生物引起的生态灾难的发生,为将来人工湿地应用于工业污水处理和微生物生态安全评估提供有效可靠的依据。     

Wetlands and mosquitoes: a review

This review brings together information on mosquitoes, the diseases they transmit and the wetlands that provide habitats for the immature stages (eggs and larvae). Wetland values are mentioned, though the main literature on this does not generally overlap the mosquito issue. Mosquito management is overviewed to include: the use of larvicides, source reduction in intertidal wetlands and management in freshwater systems. There is not a great deal of information on mosquitoes and freshwater systems, except for constructed wetlands and they are considered separately. We then consider restoration mainly in the context of wetlands that have been the subject of habitat modification for mosquito control. Land use and climate change, as they affect mosquitoes and the diseases they transmit, are also reviewed, as this will affect wetlands via management activities. Finally the review addresses the critical issue of balancing health, both human and environmental, in an adaptive framework. It concludes that there is a need to ensure that both mosquito and wetland management communicate and integrate to sustain wetland and human health.     

Landscape Effects on the Presence,Abundance and Diversity of Mosquitoes in Mediterranean Wetlands

Environment determines the distribution of mosquito-borne diseases in that it influences the vector-host-pathogen transmission cycle, including vector distribution, abundance and diversity. In this study, we analyse the relationship between environmental variables estimated by remote sensing and the spatial distribution (presence, abundance and diversity) of seven mosquito species vectors of West Nile and other pathogens (Usutu, avian malaria and dirofilariasis) in the Doñana Natural Park, Spain. Traps were distributed over an area of 54,984 ha divided into six ecological units: marshland, sand dunes, scrubland, ricefields, crops and fishponds. We collected mosquitoes once a month from up to 112 locations using BG-Sentinel traps baited with BG-lure and CO₂ during March-November 2010. Hydroperiod, NDVI and Inundation surface were estimated at several resolution scales (100, 250, 500, 1000 and 2000 metres) from corrected and normalized Landsat Images. We sampled 972,346 female mosquitoes, the most abundant species being Culex theileri, Ochlerotatus caspius, Culex modestus, Culex perexiguus, Culex pipiens, Anopheles atroparvus and Ochlerotatus detritus. Our results suggest that: (1) hydroperiod, inundation surface and NDVI are strongly related to the spatial distribution of mosquitoes; (2) the spatial scales used to measure these variables affected quantification of these relationships, the larger scale being more informative; (3) these relationships are species-specific; (4) hydroperiod is negatively related to mosquito presence and richness; (5) Culex abundance is positively related to hydroperiod; (6) NDVI is positively related to mosquito diversity, presence and abundance, except in the case of the two salt marsh species (Oc. caspius and Oc. detritus); and (7) inundation surfaces positively condition the abundance and richness of most species except the salt marsh mosquitoes. Remote sensing data provided reliable information for monitoring mosquito populations. Landscape significantly affected mosquito distribution and abundance, and as a result may alter disease risk. These results suggest that while environmental conditions affect the distribution and abundance of mosquitoes, other factors such as human modification of landscapes may give rise to significant changes in mosquito populations and consequently disease risk.