Europe West Nile
August 30, 2009
Researchers at Zurich University say the Asian rock pool mosquito, aedes japonicus, has colonized an area of more than 1,400 square kilometers in central and northern Switzerland and parts of southern Germany.
A parasite carried by the mosquito is responsible for West Nile virus, which can infect humans and farm animals with encephalitis, an acute inflammation of the brain that can be fatal.
The mosquito originally comes from Japan, Korea and China, but in recent years has spread dramatically across the United States and parts of Canada.
The mosquito was first discovered in Europe in 2000 in France at an old tire depot but was believed to have been eradicated when the area was sprayed with pesticides. Isolated pockets of the mosquito also exist in Belgium, but have not spread.
Parasite expert Alexander Mathis from Zurich University said the insect's larva had been found at 122 of 3,500 locations tested in Switzerland and Germany. Mathis said the find indicates that the species had gained a foothold in Europe and was spreading.
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Editor: Andreas Illmer