Aedes atlanticus

Aedes atlanticus is a species of Aedes mosquito native to the southeastern United States of America. It is known for carrying a number of pathogens that can infect humans, most notably yellow fever.

Atlantic mosquito
Scientific classification
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Ae. atlanticus
Binomial name
Aedes atlanticus
Dyar and Knab, 1906[1]

Description

Ae. atlanticus is a medium-sized mosquito with prominent white stripes on its abdomen. The females of this species are pestiferous, like their aptly named close cousin Aedes tormentor.[2] In addition to being a vector of yellow fever, the mosquito can carry the Keystone virus, which is common in small animals in Florida, and may be common among humans with only minor symptoms, though only two cases have been verified, as of June 2018.[3]

Ae. atlanticus mosquitoes are widespread and common in the southeast US, from Texas and southern Missouri all the way through Maryland. Their reproductive cycle can carry some viruses transstadially through the different stages of the insect's life: a female mosquito may lay eggs carrying the virus, which hatch into infected larvae, eventually maturing into adults that can infect mammals while injecting their anti-coagulant saliva during a bite.[4]

References

  1. Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit: Aedes (Och.) atlanticus, http://www.wrbu.org/mqID/mq_medspc/AD/AEatl_hab.html, retrieved 27 Jun 2018.
  2. Mosquitoes of the Southeastern United States
  3. Ashley May: "Keystone virus makes first jump from mosquitoes to humans with confirmed case in Florida teen, study says," https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/06/22/first-report-human-keystone-virus-found-florida-teen/725460002/, updated 1:20 p.m. ET June 25, 2018; "Authors said this was the first case of the virus in humans, but the Florida Department of Health told USA TODAY that a young child from Sarasota had the virus in 1964."
  4. LeDuc, JW; Burger, JF; Eldridge, BF; Russell, PK (1975). "Ecology of Keystone virus, a transovarially maintained arbovirus". Ann N Y Acad Sci. 266: 144–51. doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.1975.tb35095.x. PMID 20017.
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