Project:

Prevalence of Disease Carrying Mosquitoes on Long Island

Students:

Gabrielle DeCapua, Michael Fabbri

School:

Connetquot High School, Suffolk

Mentors:

John Halloran

Abstract:

Mosquitos have consistently been the most deadly animal throughout the entirety of human history, being a major vector of disease that greatly impacts human life.1 Multiple mosquito species have evolved alongside humans, becoming specialized in extracting blood from their host. Many species have learned to congregate near human populations, while others remain in more wilderness areas2. As different species of mosquitoes carry different diseases4 (i.e. only Anopheles mosquitoes carrying malaria), it is vital to know the different species that choose to live near areas with higher human population densities than others. This is why we are choosing to explore the biodiversity of mosquito species in areas with high human presence versus more secluded areas.

Poster:

Team samples: