Short report
First report in italy of the exotic mosquito species Aedes (Finlaya) koreicus, a potential vector of arboviruses and filariae
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* Corresponding author: Gioia Capelli gcapelli@izsvenezie.it
1 Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Laboratory of Parasitology, Viale dell'Università 10, Legnaro, 35020, Italy
2 Entostudio, Via Buffa 9, Brugine, 35020, Italy
3 Local Health Unit (ULSS 2), Department of Prevention, Via Borgo Ruga 30, Feltre, 32032, Italy
4 University of Padua, Department of Environmental Agronomy and Crop Science, Viale dell'Università 16, Legnaro, 35020, Italy
5 University of Zurich, Institute of Parasitology, Winterthurerstr. 266a, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland
6 Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immuno-mediated Diseases, Vector-Borne Diseases and International Health Unit, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, 00161, Italy
7 Veneto Region, Direzione Prevenzione, Servizio Promozione e Sviluppo Igiene e Sanita' Pubblica, Dorsoduro 3493, Venice, 30123, Italy
Parasites & Vectors 2011, 4:188 doi:10.1186/1756-3305-4-188
Published: 28 September 2011Abstract
Background
In the Veneto region (north-eastern Italy) an entomological surveillance system has been implemented since the introduction of the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) in 1991. During the routine monitoring activity in a tiger mosquito-free area, an unexpected mosquito was noticed, which clearly did not belong to the recorded Italian fauna.
Findings
At the end of May 2011, twelve larvae and pupae were collected in a small village in Belluno province (Veneto region) from a single manhole. Ten adults reared in the laboratory were morphologically and genetically identified as Aedes (Finlaya) koreicus (Edwards, 1917), a species native to Southeast Asia. The subsequent investigations carried out in the following months in the same village provided evidence that this species had become established locally. Entomological and epidemiological investigations are currently ongoing in the surrounding area, to verify the eventual extension of the species outside the village and to trace back the route of entry into Italy.
Conclusions
This is the first report in Italy of the introduction of the exotic mosquito Ae. koreicus. This species has been shown experimentally to be competent in the transmission of the Japanese encephalitis virus and of the dog heartworm Dirofilaria immitis and is considered a potential vector of other arboviruses. Thus, the establishment of this species may increase the current risk or pose new potential threats, for human and animal health. This finding considerably complicates the entomological monitoring of the Asian tiger mosquito Ae. albopictus in Italy and stresses the importance of implementing the entomological surveillance for the early detection of and the rapid response against invasive mosquito species.