Strategies of a thirteen year surveillance programme on Aedes albopictus (Stegomyia albopicta) in southern Switzerland.

Mauro Tonolla,Eleonora Flacio,Lukas Engeler,Nicola Patocchi,Peter Lüthy

doi:10.1186/s13071-015-0793-6

Abstract

BackgroundIn Ticino, a canton located south of the Alps in Switzerland, a surveillance programme on Aedes albopictus (Stegomyia albopicta) started in 2000 seeing that the region was considered at high risk of introduction based on the rapid spread of this mosquito in neighbouring Italy.MethodsThe surveillance programme, which is still ongoing, was adapted continuously to handle preventive measures of arrival, dispersal and establishment of this invasive species. The monitoring was based on ovitraps supported by reports from the population. The integrated control measures included removal of breeding sites, larvicide applications with Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis or diflubenzuron and, in some circumstances, adulticide applications with permethrin. These measures involved citizens, municipalities and Civil Protection Units.ResultsAe. albopictus was first observed in 2003 in Ticino. We describe the strategies adopted and their adaptations to the evolving problem since year 2000. The approach used allowed keeping the mosquito densities at tolerable levels and below the threshold of autochthonous Ae. albopictus borne disease transmission. During the surveillance period, new typologies of breeding sites for Ae. albopictus have been discovered.ConclusionsIt was worth tackling the arrival of Ae. albopictus and adopting immediate control measures, followed by regular control measures after its establishment. Early intervention and prevention of the possible spread of the tiger mosquito over the territory avoided facing a crisis situation. This also reduced the difficulty of managing the situation and probably also reduced the overall cost if this had not been put in place.

Highlights

In Ticino, a canton located south of the Alps in Switzerland, a surveillance programme on Aedes albopictus (Stegomyia albopicta) started in 2000 seeing that the region was considered at high risk of introduction based on the rapid spread of this mosquito in neighbouring Italy
We focus on the adopted surveillance strategy and the procedure used to challenge the invasion of Ae. albopictus from 2000, before the arrival of the mosquito in Ticino, until 2013
The Canton is divided into eight districts, five of them are included in the surveillance system: from North to South 1) Riviera,; 2) Locarnese, the touristic region around the Swiss part of Lake Maggiore bordering with Italian provinces of Piedmont and Lombardy; 3) Bellinzonese; 4) Luganese bordering with Italian province of Lombardy, and 5) Mendrisiotto bordering with Italian province of Lombardy

Summary

Introduction

In Ticino, a canton located south of the Alps in Switzerland, a surveillance programme on Aedes albopictus (Stegomyia albopicta) started in 2000 seeing that the region was considered at high risk of introduction based on the rapid spread of this mosquito in neighbouring Italy. Towards the end of last century the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (Skuse, 1894) (Diptera: Culicidae), known as Stegomyia albopicta sensu Reinert [1], was considered an invasive mosquito due to its capacity of taking advantage of global transportation of goods and traffic. This mosquito species ‘annoys’ humans because it can establish in urban settlements, bite at daytime often causing painful weals [2], and represents a sanitary risk due to its vector competence for various arboviruses and Dirofilaria sp. The used tyre trade, road traffic and climatic conditions facilitated the rapid spread to most regions in North and Flacio et al Parasites & Vectors (2015) 8:208

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion