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20-12-2022, 08:18 PM
Radio Sintonia:
Health activates the Entomological Surveillance System of the Canary Islands before the detection of specimens of Aedes aegypti mosquito in a house in Tenerife.
The Ministry of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands, through the General Directorate of Public Health, reports that the Entomological Surveillance System of the Canary Islands has detected this morning specimens of Aedes aegypti mosquito in a house in Santa Cruz de Tenerife without having reported bites. The Entomological Surveillance system of the Canary Islands remains active after the detection of larvae in La Palma in March of this year, without more larvae or mosquitoes having appeared, and the eradication of the species in 2017, in Fuerteventura.
The Aedes aegypti is a black mosquito with stripes, smaller than the usual ones in our territory, which appears more in urban environments and has adapted to reproduce in small points of water generated by man. It is a vector of transmission of viral diseases in other geographical areas where these pathologies are endemic, which does not happen in the Canary Islands.
The SCS received today the alert of a citizen who found specimens of the mosquito in his home in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It so happens that this person has lived in Barcelona and knew the species so he sent photos although he had not experienced any bite.
Given this warning, which occurred this morning, and after verifying in the laboratory that it is the Aedes aegypti species, the team of the Surveillance and Public Health System, coordinated by the General Directorate of Public Health, is already carrying out a first prevention action, expanding the ratio of placement of traps at different points to those established in the usual protocol. In addition, the inspection and location of possible breeding sites is beginning, as well as the corresponding epidemiological surveys, among other actions.
Citizen collaboration
Citizens can send photos of suspected presence of Aedes aegypti to the email account vectores.scs@gobiernodecanarias.org or images of strong inflammatory reactions due to bites if they occur, indicating the geographical place where it has been located and a telephone number.
Health emphasizes that the Surveillance System is effective in detecting even larvae and eggs of invasive mosquitoes early, before it has caused bites in the population of the island. In this sense, all the necessary information is being collected to limit, verify and, where appropriate, eradicate the presence of this mosquito on the island.
It is also important to note that the presence of the mosquito does not mean that diseases such as dengue, Zika, yellow fever or chicungunya occur, since these are not present in our territory, except for sporadic imported cases.
Breeding points
The Aedes aegypti usually itches during the day and not at night and its bite generates a strong inflammatory reaction that is accompanied by a great stinging. They move close to the ground nimbly and no humming sound is heard. The females of the mosquito are the ones that bite, since they need to feed on blood to reproduce. They also need water (breeding points) to complete their development. In the water they deposit their eggs, from which the larvae will emerge that will then transform into pupae (both aquatic) and finally become mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes that bite humans need to be breeding very close to humans. That is why the most effective measure against them is to monitor or eliminate their breeding points.
Since the beginning of this surveillance program, citizen collaboration has been considered very important to identify possible invasive mosquitoes and eliminate their breeding sites.
Detection expertise
Since 2013, the Canary Islands have had an Entomological Surveillance System, coordinated by the General Directorate of Public Health in collaboration with the University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the University of La Laguna, in order to detect early the possible appearance of invasive mosquitoes.
The objective of the Entomological Surveillance System of the Canary Islands is to detect early adult specimens, eggs or larvae of invasive mosquitoes. To this end, the following actions are determined:
-Various devices implanted in the main points of entry of mosquitoes in the Archipelago are monitored, such as ports and airports and certain greenhouses.
– A bite surveillance program is activated in all health centers on the island and in pharmacies, through surveys by health professionals.
– If there is notification of bites, Public Health inspectors analyze each case through a survey, photograph of the bite and inspection of the house to search and identify the mosquito, its larvae or its eggs if any.
Health activates the Entomological Surveillance System of the Canary Islands before the detection of specimens of Aedes aegypti mosquito in a house in Tenerife.
The Ministry of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands, through the General Directorate of Public Health, reports that the Entomological Surveillance System of the Canary Islands has detected this morning specimens of Aedes aegypti mosquito in a house in Santa Cruz de Tenerife without having reported bites. The Entomological Surveillance system of the Canary Islands remains active after the detection of larvae in La Palma in March of this year, without more larvae or mosquitoes having appeared, and the eradication of the species in 2017, in Fuerteventura.
The Aedes aegypti is a black mosquito with stripes, smaller than the usual ones in our territory, which appears more in urban environments and has adapted to reproduce in small points of water generated by man. It is a vector of transmission of viral diseases in other geographical areas where these pathologies are endemic, which does not happen in the Canary Islands.
The SCS received today the alert of a citizen who found specimens of the mosquito in his home in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It so happens that this person has lived in Barcelona and knew the species so he sent photos although he had not experienced any bite.
Given this warning, which occurred this morning, and after verifying in the laboratory that it is the Aedes aegypti species, the team of the Surveillance and Public Health System, coordinated by the General Directorate of Public Health, is already carrying out a first prevention action, expanding the ratio of placement of traps at different points to those established in the usual protocol. In addition, the inspection and location of possible breeding sites is beginning, as well as the corresponding epidemiological surveys, among other actions.
Citizen collaboration
Citizens can send photos of suspected presence of Aedes aegypti to the email account vectores.scs@gobiernodecanarias.org or images of strong inflammatory reactions due to bites if they occur, indicating the geographical place where it has been located and a telephone number.
Health emphasizes that the Surveillance System is effective in detecting even larvae and eggs of invasive mosquitoes early, before it has caused bites in the population of the island. In this sense, all the necessary information is being collected to limit, verify and, where appropriate, eradicate the presence of this mosquito on the island.
It is also important to note that the presence of the mosquito does not mean that diseases such as dengue, Zika, yellow fever or chicungunya occur, since these are not present in our territory, except for sporadic imported cases.
Breeding points
The Aedes aegypti usually itches during the day and not at night and its bite generates a strong inflammatory reaction that is accompanied by a great stinging. They move close to the ground nimbly and no humming sound is heard. The females of the mosquito are the ones that bite, since they need to feed on blood to reproduce. They also need water (breeding points) to complete their development. In the water they deposit their eggs, from which the larvae will emerge that will then transform into pupae (both aquatic) and finally become mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes that bite humans need to be breeding very close to humans. That is why the most effective measure against them is to monitor or eliminate their breeding points.
Since the beginning of this surveillance program, citizen collaboration has been considered very important to identify possible invasive mosquitoes and eliminate their breeding sites.
Detection expertise
Since 2013, the Canary Islands have had an Entomological Surveillance System, coordinated by the General Directorate of Public Health in collaboration with the University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the University of La Laguna, in order to detect early the possible appearance of invasive mosquitoes.
The objective of the Entomological Surveillance System of the Canary Islands is to detect early adult specimens, eggs or larvae of invasive mosquitoes. To this end, the following actions are determined:
-Various devices implanted in the main points of entry of mosquitoes in the Archipelago are monitored, such as ports and airports and certain greenhouses.
– A bite surveillance program is activated in all health centers on the island and in pharmacies, through surveys by health professionals.
– If there is notification of bites, Public Health inspectors analyze each case through a survey, photograph of the bite and inspection of the house to search and identify the mosquito, its larvae or its eggs if any.