Vector-borne Diseases of San Angelo, TX

Mosquitoes are vectors of viral and parasitic diseases. Some diseases carried by mosquitoes are encephalitis, filariasis, dengue, yellow fever, and malaria. The goal of this research is to identify mosquitoes in San Angelo, Texas, and the human and domesticated animal diseases reported to be vectored by these species. Therefore, in late Fall 2016, mosquitoes were collected from San Angelo using a commercially available CO2 trap. Identified species include Anopheles pseudopunctipennis, An. judithae, An. punctipennis, An. crucians, An. perplexens, An. barbei, An. atropos, Psorophora columbiae, Ochlerotatus hendersoni, Mansonia titillans, and Culex erraticus. Of these, the most common species were C. erraticus and An. pseudopunctipennis. This information may educate people to be aware of these potentially harmful organisms, realize that these common “pests” are more dangerous than they appear, and influence individuals to take safety measures to reduce the chance of acquiring vector-borne diseases.