ISCEP 2026 At Sunway Putra Hotel 17-18 August 2026
ABSTRACT
ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTRACT
T2.03
COMMUNITY DIVERSITY AND PREDICTIVE DISTRIBUTION OF JAPANESE ENCEPHALITIS VIRUS VECTORS ACROSS SABAH LAND TYPES
Ag Shazmeer AG SAFREE', Khairul Azman KARIM, Chian HO², Adlar Ryan NGIAM², Ping-Chin LEE", Sylvia DAIM', Song-Quan ONG
Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation Universi Malaysia Sabah Kora Kinaba Faculty of Science and Technology Universi Malaysia Sabah Kota Kinabah Sabuk Malaysia Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Universi Malaysia Sabah Kota Kinabalu Sabat Malaysia "[email protected]
Ocal Presentation-actor Suva Sh
Japanese encephalitis (E) remains a critical yet neglected mosquito-bore viral threat in Southeast Asia. Effective surveillance is hindered by insufficient knowledge of the distribution of Culex mosquitoes, particularly in regions such as Sabah, where rapid land-use changes and diverse topography create complex ecological niches. This study aimed to characterise the Culex mosquito community across multiple districts and map their spatial distribution in Sabah Mosquito data were collected using human-baited double nets, CDC light traps, and BG- Sentinel (BGS) traps across four major divisions: Tawau, Semporna, Sandakan, and Kudat during the peak biting period. To assess community differences, Culex diversity was calculated, and differences among districts were evaluated using ANOVA. Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) was used to examine species composition across different habitats, and machine leaming models were constructed and compared for Species Distribution Modelling (SDM) to study their spatial distribution. A total of 3367 mosquitoes were collected and identified, with the secondary vectors Cx. quinquefasciatus (55%) and Cs. vishnui (42%) emerging as the dominant species. DCA ordination revealed clear niche differentiation: Cx. vishnui was predominantly associated with coastal habitats, while the primary vectoc Cx. tritaeniorhynchus, was more commonly found in inland forested environments. SDM projections identified highly suitable areas for Cx tritaeniorhynchus along the western coastline and northern Kudat, while the distribution of Cx. quinquefasciatus closely matched areas of high human population density in western Sabah. These spatial distribution maps provide a valuable framework for targeted vector control, particularly at the interface of agricultural and peri-urban high-risk zones.
INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE ON ENTOMOLOGY AND PEST SCEP) 2006
Keywords: Culex, random forest, community ecology Japanese Encephalitis, vector risk mapping