Gert van der Hoek
In Memoriam - Editor, Senior Moderator
Detected for the first time in Spain a new invasive mosquito of Asian origin
01 08 2018
The 'Aedes japonicus' can transmit several viruses among which the one of the West Nile is found.
The mosquito 'Aedes japonicus' has arrived for the first time in Spain and southern Europe , according to the first report of the Rapid Risk Assessment issued by the Coordination Center for Health Alerts and Emergencies this July, as a result of the alert received from Asturias through the Mosquito Alert platform, Creaf informed on Wednesday in a statement.
In early June, the citizen science platform Mosquito Alert received a photo of a suspicious mosquito through the app, sent from the area of the council of Siero, in the Principality of Asturias .
After receiving this first notification the person was asked to send by mail adult and larval specimens, on which the suspicion was confirmed.
Subsequently, a field inspection was carried out at the site of the discovery led by Mosquito Alert entomologists together with members of the entomological team of the University of Zaragoza and responsible for the Entomological Surveillance project of the Ministry of Health, Consumption and Social Welfare .
Mosquito Alert entomologist team leader Roger Eritja said: "After reviewing the area we were able to find all the biological phases of the vector at several points away from each other, suggesting that the mosquito is already established in an area that can be much broader, although more studies will be needed to confirm it ".
The main concern of the arrival of the Aedes japonicus mosquito is that , apart from causing discomfort with its bites similar to those of other mosquitoes, it has the ability to transmit several viruses, among which the most relevant in Spain would be West Nile .
01 08 2018
The 'Aedes japonicus' can transmit several viruses among which the one of the West Nile is found.
The mosquito 'Aedes japonicus' has arrived for the first time in Spain and southern Europe , according to the first report of the Rapid Risk Assessment issued by the Coordination Center for Health Alerts and Emergencies this July, as a result of the alert received from Asturias through the Mosquito Alert platform, Creaf informed on Wednesday in a statement.
In early June, the citizen science platform Mosquito Alert received a photo of a suspicious mosquito through the app, sent from the area of the council of Siero, in the Principality of Asturias .
After receiving this first notification the person was asked to send by mail adult and larval specimens, on which the suspicion was confirmed.
Subsequently, a field inspection was carried out at the site of the discovery led by Mosquito Alert entomologists together with members of the entomological team of the University of Zaragoza and responsible for the Entomological Surveillance project of the Ministry of Health, Consumption and Social Welfare .
Mosquito Alert entomologist team leader Roger Eritja said: "After reviewing the area we were able to find all the biological phases of the vector at several points away from each other, suggesting that the mosquito is already established in an area that can be much broader, although more studies will be needed to confirm it ".
The main concern of the arrival of the Aedes japonicus mosquito is that , apart from causing discomfort with its bites similar to those of other mosquitoes, it has the ability to transmit several viruses, among which the most relevant in Spain would be West Nile .