106 - Socio-ecological drivers of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus assemblages in cities of Louisiana, USA

Abstract: This research evaluates how socio-ecological gradients drive the assemblages of container breeding mosquito vectors (Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus) in cities of Louisiana (LA), USA. We evaluated environmental indicators (e.g. climate variability, vegetation cover, and heat), and indicators of income disparity and urban blight. In New Orleans, LA, Ae. aegypti, was well predicted by urban heat islands (UHI), and low-income areas were more exposed to UHI in the most densely urbanized areas of the city. In contrast, low-income areas in the suburbs of New Orleans had a higher abundance of discarded vehicle tires, and had a higher abundance of Ae. albopictus adults. For larvae, canopy cover influenced basal resources (C:N ratio, C13, N15), with potential implications for adult vector fitness and vectorial capacity. In Baton Rouge, LA, low-income neighborhoods had a higher abundance of larvae-positive mosquito habitat, and adult mosquitos, in correlation with indicators of urban blight. Paradoxically, service requests for mosquito abatement were biased in favor of high-income neighborhoods, which were more likely to request and receive these services. Our study highlights the importance of considering socioeconomic aspects as indirectly shaping spatial segregation dynamics of urban container breeding mosquitos. In Louisiana, UHI, vegetation cover, mosquito abatement services, and urban blight interact to create pathways of unequal mosquito vector burden, particularly for low-income neighborhoods.