Mosquito Adaptation to the Extreme Habitats of Urban Construction Sites.

The construction industry employs millions of workers in the USA. However, little is known about how environmental disturbances caused by the construction industry impacts vector mosquito ecology and behavior, and whether it is responsible for increasing the abundance of mosquitoes. There is a major scientific gap on how to assess the occupational exposure risk of mosquito biting and arbovirus transmission among outdoor worker populations who spend a disproportionate amount of time working outdoors. In our opinion, it is critical to address how construction workers and the surrounding communities may be geographically and seasonally exposed to vector mosquitoes. Research should identify modifiable worker- and organizational-level factors that improve worksite mosquito-control practices to give insights into future vector-control strategies in urban environments. Recent studies have shown that the proliferation of vector mosquitoes is partially attributable to construction sites. Very little is known about how environmental disturbances caused by construction sites impact vector mosquito ecology and behavior. There is a significant scientific gap on how to assess the risk of mosquito biting and arbovirus transmission in construction sites. In our opinion, it is critical to address how construction sites may be geographically and seasonally exposed to vector mosquitoes and their effect on the transmission of arboviruses in the surrounding communities and in the population as a whole. Research should also identify modifiable worker- and organizational-level factors that improve mosquito-control practices to guide future vector-control strategies in urban environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]