HE tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus), a species that transmits dengue and is considered an exotic invader of Asian origin, has expanded its range in Spain and is now It is currently found on the Mediterranean coast, in the north and in some areas in the interior of the peninsula. According to the experts Efe consulted.
But this invader is not the only one; the influence of other mosquito species is also spreading to European territory Climate change, globalization and freight transport This facilitates the arrival of insects.
Rubén Bueno, entomologist and doctor in the biology department, assures that the existence of tiger mosquitoes on the Iberian Peninsula was “discovered in Catalonia.” this type is “already found in almost all Spanish territory” and that the last find is in Galicia.
Bueno explains that it’s also in Spain japan mosquito (aedes japonicus) -it is also a carrier of diseases such as Nile fever and chikungunya.
This species is currently found in almost all Spanish territories, and the last finding was in Galicia.
Before remembering that last August 26 was International Day against Dengue fever, an increasingly prevalent disease in Europe, the mosquito in general is “a flightless insect for hundreds of kilometers,” he argues. It was first detected in Spain in 2004.
While it is true that “there were no major epidemics” in Europe, as in Southeast Asia or Latin America, “just a week ago, the first domestic cases of dengue were reported in Italy” and “in Spain years ago, Bueno” According to either Catalonia or Murcia, there were also some cases transmitted by the tiger mosquito.
West Nile Virus
On the other hand, it is estimated that there are a hundred species of mosquitoes, including ordinary mosquitoes (Culex pipes), are transmitters Other tropical diseases such as West Nile virusThe event that killed an elderly woman a few days ago in Huelva and a hundred people in Europe in 2022.
West Nile virus not only in mosquitoes but also “It can happen in birds, horses, and humans”Bueno points out that the majority of infected animals can be asymptomatic.
“The tiger mosquito bites during the day,” says the entomologist, unlike the ordinary mosquito that bites at night, noting that it is “easy to distinguish” and that “the tiger has a black and white body”.
The tiger mosquito is “urban”, Its existence is favored by stagnant water, according to Bueno, and because it lives “near the pans or the drums of harbours,” among other places; For this reason, he says, “stagnation of water at the domestic level should be avoided”, so that “the risk of biting and disease transmission will be reduced”.
“It is important to avoid stagnation of water in the home environment, this will reduce the risk of bites”
Tiger mosquitoes breed in street rainwater collection grids, syphilis.therefore guarantees that surveillance and control programs are necessary in public spaces.
Frederic Bartumeus, co-director of the Mosquito Alert mobile app, a researcher and biologist at Centro Superior de Investigaciones CientÃficas (CSIC), explains that the tiger mosquito and the common mosquito have two distinct zoonotic cycles. a disease transmitted from an animal to a human being spread.
“The genus ‘Aedes’—the tiger and the Japanese mosquito—bite an infected person and can transmit the infection to other people,” he says, but “when West Nile virus—a common mosquito—gets to humans, it falls on deaf ears.”
According to Bartumeus, “if an infected person is bitten by a healthy mosquito, that mosquito will not be able to become infected” because the viral load has been greatly reduced.
Climate change is changing behavior
Bartumeus, mobile app Mosquito Alert It emerged in 2013 to create “citizen surveillance combined with traditional trapping,” where anyone can warn about mosquito species, breeding sites, and even bites in certain spots.
According to Bartumeus, one of the most influential factors in mosquito cycles is climate change. The increase in temperatures “does not cause more mosquitoes”, but rather changes their behavior.
As an example, he determines that “with climate change, the tiger mosquito will tend to higher altitudes and may emerge at 1,500 meters.” extreme temperatures are not beneficial Because they tend to dry out water and these insects need moisture to live.
Bartumeus stands out as a carrier of tropical diseases such as yellow fever as well as the tiger mosquito. aedes aegypti“Tried to colonize the Canary Islands several times in recent years, but good management succeeded in eradicating its existence”.
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Contact address of the environment department: crizclimatica@prensaiberica.es
Source: Informacion
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