Molecular Phylogeography of Aedes aegypti Populations in Coastal Cities of South South and South West Nigeria: Implications for Arbovirus Transmission

Aedes aegypti is the primary vector of dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever, and understanding its population connectivity along Nigeria's coast is critical for designing coordinated arbovirus surveillance programs. Previous studies have documented arboviral circulation in Nigeria, yet the phylogeographic structure of coastal Ae. aegypti populations across the South South and South West zones has not been characterized. This study investigates the molecular phylogeography of Ae. aegypti in six coastal cities spanning Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Ondo, and Lagos states. Adult females and larvae will be collected from six sites per city and stored in 80% ethanol. Mitochondrial COI and nuclear ITS2 sequences will be generated and analyzed to determine haplotype diversity, population differentiation, and migration pathways. Network analysis will visualize haplotype relationships among populations. Genomic SNP data from a subset of 120 specimens will provide higher resolution population structure analysis. The study tests whether coastal urbanization and port connectivity explain gene flow patterns better than geographic distance alone. Results will inform coordinated arbovirus preparedness planning among state ministries of health in Nigeria's coastal zone. Keywords: Aedes aegypti, phylogeography, arbovirus, coastal Nigeria, population genetics