ABUNDANCE, PARITY, AND JAPANESE ENCEPHALITIS-VIRUS INFECTION OF MOSQUITOS (DIPTERA, CULICIDAE) IN SEPANG DISTRICT, MALAYSIA

A 2-yr study of Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus in Sepang District, S elangor, Malaysia, was carried out to identify the mosquito vectors an d to determine their seasonal abundance, parity, and infection rates. In total, 81,889 mosquitoes belonging to 9 genera and >50 species were identified from CDC trap collections augmented with dry ice during 19 92 and 1993. Culex tritaeniorhynchus Giles and Culex gelidus Giles wer e the most abundant species, and both increased in numbers with increa ses in rainfall. Overall, 45 JE virus isolations were made from 7 spec ies - Cx. tritaeniorhynchus (24), Cx. gelidus (12), Culex fuscocephala Theobald (2), Aedes butleri Theobald (4), Culex quinquefasciatus Say (1), Aedes lineatopennis Ludlow (1), and Aedes (Cancraedes) sp. (1). B ased on elevated abundance and IE infection rates, Cx. tritaeniorhynch us appears to be the most important vector of JE virus in Sepang.