The Ministry of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands reports that the Entomological Surveillance System of Canary Islandscoordinated by the General Directorate of Public Health, has intensified surveillance of the mosquito Aedes aegypti, as established in the action protocol, after the detection of a specimen of this species in one of the traps installed in the cruise terminal of the Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. In addition, the area has been fenced off to carry out inspection tasks and location of possible breeding sites, if any.
After the detection of this specimen and the molecular confirmation that the sample found belongs to the Aedes Aegypti species, the technicians have moved to the area without observing any more specimens or breeding sites in the rest of the traps located in the nearby area. After these tasks, the number of traps placed in the areas close to the detection point was increased and the sampling frequency was increased, so that the traps will be checked on a weekly basis.
In addition, the General Directorate of Public Health has informed today the Port Authority, the Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Foreign Health of this finding, the result of the actions undertaken by the Entomological Surveillance System of the Canary Islands, coordinated by Public Health in order to coordinate the actions provided for in the action protocol.
It should be remembered that, since the Surveillance System for the detection of mosquito specimens was activated on December 20 Aedes aegypti In a house in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, no bites or the presence of more specimens have been reported until the confirmation today of this specimen found in one of the traps installed in the Port.
The surveillance system procedure with this new detection consists of identifying the risk points close to the place of discovery, permitting the area to carry out inspection tasks and locating possible breeding sites, if any.
In the case of the detection of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, in a house on December 20, a plant that was in the home was identified as a possible breeding ground, for which reason the traceability of the recently acquired product was carried out. Subsequently, fumigation work was carried out in thirteen houses near the home in which specimens of the mosquito were detected. Aedes aegypti, No new specimens have been located and no bites suspected of having been produced by mosquitoes have been reported. Aedes aegypti.
Aedes aegypti
The Aedes aegypti It is a black-striped mosquito, smaller than the usual ones in our territory, which appears more in urban environments and has adapted to reproduce in small man-made water points. It is a vector for the transmission of viral diseases in other geographical areas where these pathologies are endemic, which is not the case in the Canary Islands.
It is important to point out that no bites have been reported and that the presence of the mosquito does not imply the transmission of diseases such as dengue, Zika, yellow fever or chicungunya, since these are not present in our territory, except in sporadic cases. imported.
citizen collaboration
Citizens can send photos of suspected presence of the Aedes aegypti to the vector mail account.scs@gobiernodecanarias.org or images of strong inflammatory reactions due to bites if they occur, indicating the geographical location where it has been located and a telephone number.
Health highlights that the Surveillance System is effective in detecting even invasive mosquito larvae and eggs early, before they have caused bites in the island’s population. In this sense, all the necessary information is being collected to delimit, verify and, where appropriate, eradicate the presence of this mosquito on the island.
Species characteristics
The Aedes aegypti It usually bites during the day and not at night, and its bite generates a strong inflammatory reaction that is accompanied by great itching. They move close to the ground nimbly and no buzz is heard. The female mosquitoes are the ones that bite, since they need to feed on blood to reproduce. They also need waterbreeding points) to complete its development. They lay their eggs in the water, from which the larvae will emerge, which will later transform into pupae (both aquatic) and which will finally become mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes that bite humans need to breed 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 the elimination of their breeding sites.
Reference centers
The surveillance system team has activated the bite surveillance program in the island’s health centers and pharmacies, by conducting surveys by health professionals in case people with compatible bites come, they can be easily detectable.
Detection expertise
The Canary Islands Entomological Surveillance system remains active after the detection of larvae on La Palma in March of this year, with no more larvae or mosquitoes appearing, and the eradication of the species in 2017, in Fuerteventura. 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 the Lagoonin 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. For this, the following actions are determined:
-Various devices implanted in the main entry points for 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 a notification of bites, the Public Health inspectors analyze each case through a survey, a photograph of the bite and an inspection of the house to search for and identify the mosquito, its larvae or its eggs, if any.
