The Health Department of the Canary Islands Government, via the General Directorate of Public Health, has announced the recent identification of an adult specimen of the species Aedes albopictus in one of the traps situated at the Tenerife South airport terminal.
The Canary Islands Entomological Surveillance System has been operational at this airport facility since the initial discovery of this species last December 2023. This location is a passage point for passenger luggage from both national and international locations, where these invasive mosquitoes have become established.
Following the confirmation through genomic sequencing of the specimen, the necessary actions have been outlined by both the General Directorate of Public Health and the University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health at the University of La Laguna, in coordination with AENA and the Granadilla de Abona City Council, the municipality where the airport is located.
It is important to recall that last September saw the initial detection of adult specimens and larvae of Aedes albopictus in the Canary Islands, first in the municipality of Tacoronte and subsequently in a residential area of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Following the activation of the surveillance system and subsequent control and fumigation efforts, no further evidence of this species has been reported since November.
Actions to be Implemented
The Surveillance System has determined that the General Directorate of Public Health and the Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health will commence inspection activities in the area where the specimen was discovered and will set additional traps to ascertain if more specimens are present. Moreover, the frequency of sampling from these traps will be augmented.
Similarly, all institutions and companies operating at Tenerife South Airport, along with local residents, will be informed of the actions to be implemented, and guidance will be provided to prevent the proliferation of specimens and their breeding sites, as community collaboration is vital in these instances.
Aedes albopictus
The Aedes albopictus is a black-striped mosquito, smaller than the species commonly found in our region, which is more prevalent in urban settings and has adapted to breed in small water sources created by humans. This mosquito acts as a vector for viral diseases in other regions where such pathologies are endemic, although this is not the case in the Canary Islands.
It typically bites during daylight hours rather than at night, and its bite causes a significant inflammatory response accompanied by a considerable stinging sensation. It moves swiftly close to the ground and does not produce any buzzing sound. Only females bite, as they require blood to reproduce. They also need water (breeding sites) to complete their life cycle. Females lay their eggs in the water, resulting in larvae that eventually metamorphose into pupae (both aquatic) and subsequently into adult mosquitoes. Mosquitoes that feed on humans tend to breed nearby. Therefore, the most effective approach to managing them is to monitor or eliminate their breeding sites.
