International experts discuss the threat of Aedes mosquitoes in Europe
Researchers analyzed the advance of the Aedes mosquito species on the European continent at a meeting in Rome in early February. Those in attendance include technicians from the European project Aedes Invasive Mosquitoes (AIM-COST).
According to data from the organization, in the tropics Aedes mosquitoes are the culprits of more than 100 million cases a year of viral diseases such as Zika, dengue, yellow fever or chikungunya. Given the significant public health risk this poses, the AIM-COST project aims to establish a cross-border network of partners and institutions to address the problem of the spread of Aedes mosquito-borne viruses.
Participants in the meeting plan to design an action plan to stop the advance of distinct species of Aedes mosquitoes, such as the tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus), the Japanese mosquito (Aedes japonicus) or the yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti). In addition, the experts will discuss the possible scenarios of invasion in Europe of the species of Aedes aegypti, thus trying to develop strategies for control, surveillance and risk assessment common among the different countries.
The threat to Spain from Aedes mosquitoes
Due to globalization, international trade and travel have continued to increase. As a result, several species of Aedes have ended up entering the European continent, spreading rapidly and becoming a danger to public health in many countries.
For experts like Rubén Bueno, there are other causes behind the expansion of Aedes species such as the tiger mosquito. Bueno is an entomologist in Spain who specializes in vector control and serves as the technical director of Lokímica Laboratories. Globalization is compounded by climate change which has caused temperatures to change, favoring the expansion of the tiger mosquito in southern European territories.
In the case of Spain, the areas most affected by this species are the localities that are along the Mediterranean Sea. However, in recent years, its presence has begun to be detected for the first time in areas of the north and center of the peninsula, a clear symptom of the spread of this insect.
In turn, according to experts there is still a low degree of individual prevention. As predicted by pest control experts, in the domestic space any accumulation of water no matter how small it is, can become a breeding focus for the tiger mosquito. Preventing water from accumulating on the terraces or gardens of homes can be vital to avoid a possible infestation of an insect that does not stop gaining ground in Spain.
In fact, as pointed out by the Ministry of Health in the entomological surveillance report prepared in 2020, the tiger mosquito was first detected in Spain in 2004 on the Catalan coast, expanding first along the Mediterranean coast and the Balearic Islands. It was subsequently found in municipalities in the north and interior of the peninsula. The aggressiveness of the day and its great activity are two of its main characteristics.
However, it is not only the tiger mosquito that is the only species of Aedes that stalks Spain. To this is added the Aedes aegypti, also known as dengue mosquito, mummy mosquito or yellow fever mosquito.
In 2017 it was detected for the first time in Spain in the Canary Islands, where the presence of Aedes eatoni, an endemic species of the Macronesia area, has also been found. Although it was thought that the dengue mosquito had been eradicated from the Canary archipelago, in December 2022 the Canarian Ministry of Health again detected a specimen of this species in the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Although with less presence detected and, therefore, with less health risk, in 2018 Aedes japonicus was detected for the first time in Spanish territory. This mosquito transmits diseases such as West Nile virus, Japanese encephalitis, eastern equine encephalitis, La Crosse encephalitis, dengue and chikungunya. According to the latest recorded data, this species detected for the first time in Asturias means its territory expands to the Cantabrian coast.
Given this international context, entities such as AIM-COST call for greater surveillance, risk assessment and effective vector control. This, coupled with proper awareness and dissemination of information, can become crucial to prevent Aedes mosquitoes from continuing to expand on the European continent.
This article was originally published in Portal Veterinaria.
Comments
Related Articles
Copyright © 2026 - All Rights Reserved
ISSN 2768-198X
List
Add
Please enter a comment