New records of Aedes aegypti at the southern limit of its distribution in Buenos Aires province, Argentina

Abstract

Aedes aegypti is the main vector of dengue in the Americas, and its continuously expanding distribution may be a critical factor involved in the constant increase in the incidence and geographic range of dengue disease. The aim of this study was to update the southern distribution of Ae. aegypti in Buenos Aires province, Argentina. We sampled tire deposits in 27 cities in the center and south east of Buenos Aires province, and detected Ae. aegypti in 13 cities. Among them, 10 represent new records for this species, thus expanding the distribution range of Ae. aegypti towards the south in Buenos Aires province. The lowest mean annual temperature where the species was detected was 14.5ºC in Villa Gesell, the most southwards location so far in Buenos Aires province.