Investigation on the Occurrence of Aedes Species in Borderline of Iran and Azerbaijan for Control of Arboviral Diseases

Background: To investigate the diversity of the genus Aedes present in the natural areas of Ardabil Province, northwest of Iran. Methods: This crosssectional study was carried out from Apr to Oct 2016 in Northwestern of Iran. Thirtythree areas of 10 cities which are border areas were selected randomly. The larvae were collected 2 times in each month during the seasonal activities of mosquitoes and the larvae were identified morphologically according to the ap #xAD;propriate identification keys. Results: Overall, 694 larvae were collected from four counties, from which only 7.2% were Aedes larvae. Three species of Aedes were identified which include Ae. caspius, Ae. vexans and Ae. flavescens. Aedes flavescens is reported from Ardabil Province for the first time. Conclusion: Aedes species were a high density in borderline of Iran and Azerbaijan. Therefore, the north parts of Ardabil Province are a suitable habitat for Aedes species mosquitoes. Care should be taken for vector control in the case of occurrence of any arboviruses transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes.