SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 27th June (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Canarian Health Service (SCS) has officially closed the incident that commenced in December 2022 following the detection of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito in the urban centre of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, as more than 18 months have passed without finding any specimens or larvae through the comprehensive surveillance and control measures implemented in the area since the last detection on December 26, 2022.
The Ministry of Health, through the General Directorate of Public Health, has expressed gratitude to the residents of the El Toscal neighbourhood for their cooperation and readiness, which greatly facilitated the implementation of necessary health protection measures such as environmental sanitation and inspections within their homes and surroundings in cases of vector-borne diseases detection.
On December 20, 2022, a resident of Santa Cruz de Tenerife reported the discovery of seven mosquitoes resembling an invasive Aedes Aegypti species at their home to the Environmental Health service of the General Directorate of Public Health (DGSP) using the email vectorials.scs@gobiernodecanarias.org.
Subsequently, these specimens were identified as Aedes Aegypti by the Medical Entomology Laboratory of the University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands (IUETSPC) at the University of La Laguna, ruling out the presence of any health-threatening arboviruses in the captured vectors.
Following the incident detection, a multisectoral committee overseen by the General Directorate of Public Health of the SCS was established to monitor local, regional, and national surveillance, control, and communication efforts.
MEASURES IMPLEMENTED
Teams from the DGSP, technical Public Health Inspectors from the Health Area Directorate of Tenerife, as well as personnel from the University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health (IUETSPC) conducted inspections, disinfection, and cleaning in homes and surrounding areas as per the established protocol. They also increased the number of installed traps, eliminated potential breeding sites, both in the affected vicinity and the nursery from where the initial specimens were obtained.
Additionally, a surveillance programme for mosquito bites was initiated in all healthcare centres and pharmacies, the procedure for sending clinical samples to the reference hospital was strengthened, and the residents of Santa Cruz de Tenerife were educated on preventive measures against mosquito breeding in households.
Lastly, in cooperation with Foreign Health authorities, surveillance of vectors and epidemiological control on cruise ships with international routes was intensified.
