Role of Taxonomy in Disease

Surveillance and Monitoring

 Objectives
• To appreciate the inclusion of the study of
naming organisms in public health

• To appreciate the importance of

entomological monitoring and surveillance
in disease transmission

RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL MEDICINE 2

 Surveillance

Systematic collection, collation and analysis

of data for public health purposes and the
timely dissemination of public health
information for assessment and public
health response as necessary

RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL MEDICINE 3

 Pro-active disease surveillance
• Involves “actively searching” for evidence of disease
through routine and continuous monitoring in endemic
areas that could help prevent an outbreak, or slow
transmission at an earlier stage of an epidemic.

• Identifies predictive parameters for particular mosquito-

borne disease that prevent outbreaks of disease or at
least mitigate its impact

• With human activities hastening degradation of the

environment, constant monitoring vector species is
necessary to detect changes in behavior

RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL MEDICINE 4

 Taxonomy
The term is from the ancient Greek words
taxis meaning "arrangement" and
nomia meaning "method"

It is the science of identifying and naming

living organisms, and arranging them into a
systematic classification.

RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL MEDICINE 5

 Taxonomic Hierarchy
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Arthropoda
Class Insecta
Order Diptera
Family Culicidae
Subfamily Culicinae
Genus Aedes
Genus Culex
Genus Armigeres
Genus Mansonia
Subfamily Anophelinae
Genus Anopheles
Subfamily Toxoryhnchitinae
Genus Toxorhynchites
 Scientific name

Family Culicidae Family (ends with dae)

Subfamily Anophelinae Subfamily (ends with nae)
Genus Anopheles

Anopheles flavirostris Italicized

Anopheles flavirostris
Underlined

Anopheles flavirostris

Genus Species

RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL MEDICINE 7

 IDENTIFICATION is the primary basis of
CONTROL

RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL MEDICINE 8

 Identification is the primary basis of control

• You cannot control something that you cannot

find. And you cannot find something you do not
understand
• Implementation of vector control measures is
species specific
• Proper identification of mosquito species leads
to targeted implementation of control that is
both cost-effective and efficient

RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL MEDICINE 9

 Mosquito Identification Key

RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL MEDICINE 10

 Recording Form for Adult Mosquito
Field Collections
• Date (of collection)
• Barangay, Municipality,
Province
• Type of collection
• Weather
• Collected by
• GPS Coordinates

RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL MEDICINE 11

 Vectors of Diseases

RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL MEDICINE 12

 Mosquito Vectors

RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL MEDICINE 13

 Dengue/Chikungunya Vectors
• Aedes aegypti

RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL MEDICINE 14

 Dengue/Chikungunya Vectors
• Aedes albopictus

RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL MEDICINE 15

 Malaria Vectors
• Anopheles flavirostris

RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL MEDICINE 16

 Malaria Vectors
• Anopheles litoralis

RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL MEDICINE 17

 Malaria Vectors
• Anopheles maculatus

RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL MEDICINE 18

 Malaria Vectors
• Anopheles mangyanus

RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL MEDICINE 19

 Malaria Vectors
• Anopheles balabacensis

RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL MEDICINE 20

 Japanese Encephalitis Vectors
• Culex tritaeniorhynchus

RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL MEDICINE 21

 Japanese Encephalitis Vectors
• Culex fuscocephala

RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL MEDICINE 22

 Japanese Encephalitis Vectors
• Culex gelidus

RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL MEDICINE 23

 Japanese Encephalitis Vectors
• Culex vishnui

RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL MEDICINE 24

 Filaria Vectors
• Aedes poicilius

RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL MEDICINE 25

 Filaria Vectors
• Anopheles flavirostris

RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL MEDICINE 26

 Filaria Vectors
• Mansonia uniformis

RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL MEDICINE 27

 Filaria Vectors
• Mansonia bonneae

RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL MEDICINE 28

 Filaria Vectors
• Culex quinquefasciatus

RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR TROPICAL MEDICINE 29