After the discovery of an Asian forest mosquito in Maasmechelen, the health institute Sciensano and the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) are calling on citizens to keep looking for exotic mosquitoes. After all, the presence of the Asian forest mosquito indicates an increasing introduction of exotic mosquitoes in our country. Via the website muggensurveillance.be anyone can send pictures of potentially exotic mosquitoes.
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Door Belgian
 - 29/07/2022 om 09:00
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More than 200 compatriots have already contributed to the monitoring of exotic specimens on the website. “The discovery of the Asian forest mosquito is an example of successful citizen science,” says Sciensano’s Javiera Rebolledo. “Although we have not found the tiger mosquito itself – which was initially reported – this case shows that the online platform works and that Belgians play an important role in monitoring mosquitoes.”
Intervene in time
Monitoring allows governments to intervene early to prevent the establishment of exotic mosquitoes. The tiger mosquito – a small and sharp animal, according to the ITM, which can transmit pathogens in addition to painful bites – has not yet been found in our country. If that mosquito sets foot here, it could, for example, transmit the dengue, zika or chikungunya virus locally from an infected person returning from vacation to another person.
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