Becoming Catholic: Aedes Albopictus, Asian Tiger Mosquito, The Global Daytime Biter!

Asian Tiger Mosquito, Becomes Catholic: Aedes Albopictus. The Daytime biter.

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Image: USDA, Invasivespeciesinfo.gov/animals/asiantigmos.shtml

Adult - Susan Ellis
Invasive.org Note: viewed from above (or below), the mosquito has white stripes, which do not show clearly on this image, the stripes do not go all the way around the abdomen on the ones I've seen. You have probably seen this handsome critter. Pay attention to what you swat if you have time. These are an evolving vector. This one seems to be readying its blood drill!

Martin Enserink's article in Science details the catholic conversion of the Asia Tiger Mosquito.

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/320/5878/864

Martin Enserink describes the nervousness of Public Health Officials, as well as the respectful acknowledgement of major entomologists that this species has now spread globally (catholic) and is conquering every major mosquito eco-niche. Some of those eco-niches are human provided and designed. From cities to graveyards and all the normal places like water filled vessels of stagnant water made of unmounted brand new or worn out old tires, the Asian tiger mosquito is spreading.

How good is your mosquito repellant? Asian Tigers are aggressive!

Enserink describes how the white striped mosquito has just about destroyed outdoor spring and summer picnic-ing, weddings, out door cafes, and even negatively affected the tourist trade and seasonal outdoor activities in northern Italy. Italy is just the most obvious of the hard hit spots around the world, where the mosquito climate is ideal.

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From CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol3no3/moore.htm

"Established populations of Aedes albopictus, the Asian "tiger mosquito," were first discovered in the continental United States in Harris County, Texas, in August 1985 (Aedes albopictus was introduced into Hawaii sometime before 1902 ). This mosquito may have become established in the region even earlier since an adult female was collected in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1983. Aedes albopictus probably entered the United States in shipments of used tires from northern Asia, where the species is widely distributed. Beginning January 1, 1988, the U.S. Public Health Service required that all used tires arriving at U.S. ports from areas known to be infested with Aedes albopictus be dry, clean, and fumigated or otherwise "disinsected" . However, by the time the disinsection requirement was put in place, existing populations had become established in 15 states." --CDC
Chester G. Moore and Carl J. Mitchell
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
(Read below, now in 36 states)
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Aedes albopictus is both a nuisance and a potential disease vector.

With Global Warming, all of Europe will eventually become ideal habitat for Aedes albopictus. The Asian tiger mosquito has been found in 36 U S States. In many other places, too, the tiger mosquito is a terrible nuisance. Enserink quotes Duane Gubler of the University of Hawaii, Honolulu."It's really a horrible pest," says Duane Gubler. Hawaii has become a real popular place to find them. (The mosquitos apparently do not surf, but will approach surfers ashore.)

So far, there's solid evidence for the tiger mosquito's role in the transmission of only two diseases: dengue and chikungunya. Chikungunya is prominent in Africa and Asia with symptoms resembling those of dengue. And even for those two viruses, the mosquito isn't historically known to be a very efficient vector, says Gubler.

The mosquito has health officials concerned. It is not clear how strong a vector it could become but it is an equal-opportunity biter. It's internal program and broad niche supports multiple food sources. It is truly catholic in its feeding habits; it bites people, cows, rats, dogs and cats, as well as birds and reptiles. Hot blood or cold, it does well on the blood of all. Many mosquitos must haved mammalian blood to mature its eggs. It is numerous and in city environs people are just plain available for biting.

It has been shown, according to Enserink's article, to provide a home for more than two dozen viruses, providing the internal environment for virus reproduction. The mosquito can transmit dengue fever, a virus that is well known that can lead to dengue hemorrhagic fever -- a rare but often fatal disease. With the supply and the toughness of this mosquito, dengue fever in the continental US is a "real possibility" say Anthony Fauci and David Morens of the U.S. in the Journal of the American Medical AssociationJAMA in January, 2008.

This dengue "idea" as discussed for America has some researchers mildly peeved at the presentation in JAMA because they say the vector mechanics have not been satisfactorily understood or proven in the Asian tiger Mosquito.

As to dengue, Didier Fontenille with the Institute of Research for Development in Montpellier, France, says he once agreed with Duane Gubler about the aedes albopictus mosquito as a very weak vector. He now no longer agrees.
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Adult Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopitus (Skuse), dorsal view showing white dorsal stripe. Notice the head, thorax, and abdomen. The white longitudinal stripe on the thorax is the distinctive marking noted, and white also appears on the head.

Photograph by: James Gathany, Centers for Disease Control Public Health Image Library

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Below, exquisite photography, and descriptions from University of Florida:

http://fmel.ifas.ufl.edu/Key/index.htm

by Michele M. Cutwa-Francis and George F. O'Meara
University of Florida - Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory

all photographs by Michele M. Cutwa-Francis
concept by Michele M. Cutwa-Francis and Naoya Nishimura

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There was a massive chikungunya outbreak in the Indian Ocean islands, which sickened more than a third of the population. This occurred in only a few months at La Réunion, and was demonstrably caused by Aedes albopictus. A small deadly outbreak in the Italian Ravenna province last summer sickened more than 200 people and killed one elderly woman.

Unpublished work by Fontenille et al., shows that the mosquito population now in La Réunion strongly prefers to bite humans. If that pattern holds true in other countries, the Asian tiger mosquito may be a much more dangerous vector than people assume, Didier Fontenille says.

http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/aquatic/asian_tiger.htm

As the world warms more northern than southern climes will invite the critter.

Enserink concludes: Whatever the natural boundaries of its potential habitat are, the tiger mosquito seems determined to reach them.

Graphic: CDC

Also see:

http://pick4.pick.uga.edu/mp/20q?search=Aedes+albopictus&burl=http:/www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov&btxt=InvasiveSpeciesInfo.gov