Asian Tiger Mosquito was detected in Bratislava's Ružinov. (source: Unsplash)
The Biomedical Centre of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (BMC SAV) has confirmed another species of invasive mosquito in Slovakia, namely Aedes albopictus, commonly called the Asian tiger mosquito.
“Since it was spotted several times in the Bratislava borough of Ružinov, we assume that it has already established itself here,” said mosquito expert Viktória Čabanová as cited by the SITA newswire. She adds that the invasive mosquito species has spread globally from Asia via shipments of lucky bamboo and in used tires.
Nevertheless, Ružinov mayor Martin Chren said on February 22 that no such mosquito has been found in the borough.
The Asian tiger mosquito is one of the most dangerous invasive mosquito species that occurs in continental Europe. It transmits up to 22 different viruses, such as the West Nile virus, which is already circulating in our territory. It also transmits exotic viruses such as dengue, Chikungunya virus, Zika virus and yellow fever. This species was spotted in Slovakia in 2012 in the vicinity of Košice, but failed to settle here then, noted Čabanová.
The expert stated that the season of the invasive mosquito species Aedes albopictus starts from late February and runs until mid-November. Unlike other mosquito species, it is active during the day. It is also known to be a significant biting nuisance, with the potential to become a serious health threat. The expert concluded that it is very important to monitor the occurrence of these mosquitoes and the diseases they transmit.
In response to information about the dangerous mosquito, Bratislava pledged to intensively monitor mosquito breeding grounds and eliminate millions of larvae. In addition, the city will provide the owners and tenants of gardens and houses with BTI larvicides in the form of tablets.
