UF researchers find dengue-carrying mosquitoes in local residential yards

Your backyard could be a gathering spot for mosquitoes capable of spreading dengue, according to University of Florida researchers.A new UF study found that Aedes aegypti, the primary mosquito species responsible for transmitting dengue, was relatively common in residential yards in Indian River County.The finding does not mean dengue is circulating in the county, researchers emphasized. It shows why yards can be important places to monitor mosquito exposure.Researchers had expected to find more Aedes albopictus, another species capable of transmitting dengue, because of the area’s vegetation and suburban setting.“It was definitely surprising to find that we saw more Aedes aegypti,” said study co-author Panpim Thongsripong, an assistant professor at UF’s Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory.The team paired mosquito trapping with Bite Diary, a temporary smartphone-based app that allowed participants to record when and where they were bitten.Eighty-three people participated in the study