A national geocoded inventory of Aedes mosquitoes in Kenya: integrating published, archival, and digital sources across 124 years

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Abstract Background Dengue virus (DENV) and chikungunya virus (CHIKV), transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes, represent growing public health threats in Kenya and across sub-Saharan Africa. In the absence of licensed vaccines for either disease in Africa, targeted vector control remains the primary prevention strategy, making accurate knowledge of Aedes species distributions essential. Global inventories of Aedes species are severely under-representative for Kenya, with existing repositories documenting fewer than 200 unique locations. No comprehensive, geocoded national inventory integrating published, unpublished, and digital sources has previously been assembled. Methods Three complementary approaches were used to assemble a national geocoded inventory of Aedes species in Kenya including (i) a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature, theses, and conference abstracts; (ii) digitisation of unpublished archival reports from the Ministry of Health, Division of Insect-Borne/Vector-Borne Diseases (DIBD/DVBD), regional and municipal councils; and (iii) cross-referencing with Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit’s (WRBU) VectorMap repositories. Data were extracted using a standardised template, de-duplicated, and geocoded using Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates, Google Earth, or census enumeration area shapefiles. Aedes species were classified as principal or possible secondary vectors based on confirmed field detection and, for the principal vector, an established role in transmission during dengue and chikungunya outbreaks reported in Kenya. Results A total of 1,802 time-site records were identified across 855 unique locations between 1901 and 2024, documenting 104 Aedes species. Unpublished archival records contributed 51% of all records, with peer-reviewed articles accounting for 43%. The principal vector, Aedes aegypti was the most widely documented species, reported at 522 unique locations. Eight possible secondary vectors with confirmed DENV and/or CHIKV detection were documented, with Aedes mcintoshi , Ae. ochraceus , and Ae. tricholabis the most frequently recorded. Geographic coverage was concentrated along the coast and western Kenya, with notable surveillance gaps in northern and northeastern regions. Conclusions This inventory represents the most comprehensive geocoded database of Aedes mosquito species ever assembled for Kenya, substantially exceeding the coverage of existing global repositories. It provides an essential empirical foundation for disease and vector surveillance, ecological niche modelling (ENM) and sub-national targeting of vector control interventions in Kenya.

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