What is it about?
Eco-friendly control of invasive Aedes mosquitoes is an urgent need worldwide. Small islands are ideal places for the testing and the implementation of innovative vector control methods as they are naturally protected from the spillover of mosquitoes from neighboring untreated areas. Using a Citizen-science approach, we show that local communities could be effectively involved to monitor and control the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus.
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Photo by Егор Камелев on Unsplash
Why is it important?
In our paper, we present the outcomes of a 4-year long study on the island of Procida (Gulf of Naples, Italy) performed in strict collaboration with local administrators and citizens to estimate the temporal dynamics, spatial distribution, and population size of Ae. albopictus and the dispersal and survival of irradiated sterile males. Our results highlight the value of creating synergies between research groups, local administrators, and citizens for affordable monitoring and eco-sustainable control of invasive vector species.
Perspectives
This article was the final result of many years of activities on the island of Procida, involving many collaborators and players, and the starting point for further development of an innovative community-engagement protocol, including arts-science transdisciplinary actions (see https://stoptigre.evosexdevo.eu). I hope this work could be of inspiration for other research teams and communities worldwide, to successfully develop effective and eco-friendly control methods for vector-borne diseases.
Ph.D. Marco Salvemini
Universita degli Studi di Napoli Federico II
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Aedes albopictus bionomics data collection by citizen participation on Procida Island, a promising Mediterranean site for the assessment of innovative and community-based integrated pest management methods, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, September 2021, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009698.
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