Mosquito Species Breeding Within a Tertiary Hospital in South-East Nigeria: Are There Public Health Implications?

• ¹, Nnamdi Azikwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra state, NG

Background: Mosquito-borne infections affect about 700 million people annually worldwide. We characterized mosquito species breeding within a Nigerian tertiary care hospital in order to highlight the potential public health risk faced by hospital communities in the tropics. 
Methods: A cross-sectional study of mosquito species breeding within the premises of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi was carried out from November 2012 to October 2013. Immature stages of the mosquito were collected from stagnant water pools and water-holding containers within the hospital premises using modified U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ovitraps (for eggs) and ladles (for larva). Pyrethroid spray catch collection technique was used to collect endophagic and endophilic adult mosquitoes.
Results: A total of 2,504 mosquitoes comprising 226 (9.0%) eggs, 2,025 (80.9%) larvae and 253 (10.1%) adult vectors were collected. Three mosquito genera (Aedes, Culex and Toxorhynchites) comprising five species (Culex quinquefasciatus, Culex tigripes,  Aedes  aegypti,  Aedes  albopictus  and  Toxorhynchites  species)  were identified. Aedes albopictus 1,033 (41.3%) was predominant while C. tigripes 45 (1.8%) was the least frequent. Mosquitoes bred mostly in septic tanks; 499 (24.6%) and repurposed automobile tyres; 445 (22.5%) while they bred the least in plant leaf axils; 37 (1.0%). 
Conclusions: This study found a large number of mosquitoes breeding within the premises of a tertiary care hospital in Nigeria, including species that are efficient vectors  of  arboviral  and  filarial  diseases.  Improved  environmental  sanitation including periodic fumigation is strongly recommended in healthcare facilities in the tropics to reduce the risk of vector-borne diseases in the hospital community.