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Erythromycin Exposure Disrupts the Life Cycle Stages of Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae)

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Abstract

Erythromycin is one of the most widely used antibiotics globally and is considered an emerging contaminant in wastewaters and environmental waters. The egg, larval, and pupal stages of the dengue vector Aedes aegypti L. reside and develop in aquatic environments. These mosquito stages may be exposed to compounds in the water, such as erythromycin. Aquatic stages of Ae. aegypti were reared in different concentrations of erythromycin which resulted in significant delay and decrease in eclosion of eggs and pupation of larvae (P < 0.05). Moreover, emergence of adults from pupae, larval survival, and adult female fecundity significantly decreased (P < 0.05). A few occurrences of hypopigmentation in larvae and blisters in adult mosquitoes were also observed. Interestingly, second-generation eggs, which were laid by adult female mosquitoes exposed to erythromycin during their aquatic stages, did not exhibit decreased levels of eclosion in the presence of erythromycin. These results reveal that long-term erythromycin exposure disrupts the Ae. aegypti life cycle by decreasing survival and delaying progression throughout different life stages. However, this study demonstrates that Ae. aegypti can rapidly acquire significant tolerance to the emerging environmental contaminant erythromycin within two generations.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge Professor Celia M. Austria for her insights on this research and for providing logistic assistance during the experimentation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, College of Science, University of the Philippines Baguio, Baguio City, Benguet, Philippines

    Mayer L. Calma

  2. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, Philippines

    Joannes Luke B. Asis & Paul Mark B. Medina

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  1. Mayer L. Calma
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Conceived and designed the experiments: PMM. Performed the experiments: MLC PMM. Analyzed the data: MLC PMM JLA. Wrote the paper: MLC PMM JLA.

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Correspondence to Paul Mark B. Medina.

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Calma, M.L., Asis, J.L.B. & Medina, P.M.B. Erythromycin Exposure Disrupts the Life Cycle Stages of Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae). Water Air Soil Pollut 229, 159 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-018-3811-4

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