ABSTRACT
Aedes mosquito is the most common arboviral vector in the tropic and subtropic regions that it was dispersed in high-rise buildings up to many storeys. A study reported that similar condition in Indonesia is still limited, although the high-rise buildings are also growing rapidly throughout the country. This study aimed to understand the dispersal and density index of Aedes mosquitoes among storey buildings at the campus of Universitas Muhammadiyah Semarang, Indonesia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among four of nine-storey buildings. Eight ovitraps were placed in each storey to collect the mosquito eggs by placing them along the building corridor and near the toilet rooms. Ovistrip from each ovitrap was collected every three days, and the attached mosquito eggs were observed and counted under a microscope in the laboratory to calculate the density index. Aedes mosquitoes were found in all buildings up to the highest storey where the Ovitrap Index (OI) is the opposite of height, while the Eggs Density Index (EDI) differs according to the location of the building. OI at the 1st and 4th floor ranged between 63-100% and 38-50%. Eggs density was associated with the light intensity and air temperature. Two Aedes species were identified where Aedes aegypti was more dominant than Aedes albopictus. All high-rise buildings are exposed to Aedes mosquitoes, thus opening up opportunities for dengue virus transmission. Further study is necessarily conducted to understand the inter-storeys migration pathway of mosquitoes, preference habitats, and the highest storey exposed for control.
