Research into the Potential to Adapt and Establish of the invasive Asian Tiger Mosquito Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (SKUSE)

TL;DR

This paper investigates the invasive Asian tiger mosquito's ability to adapt and establish stable populations globally, highlighting its potential public health threat and emphasizing the need for vaccine development.

Contribution

The study presents three investigations demonstrating the mosquito's high adaptation potential and threat to public health, especially in temperate zones, and recommends focusing on vaccine research.

Findings

Ae. albopictus can adapt to urban and temperate environments.

High potential for this species to threaten public health worldwide.

Vector control measures may inadvertently increase mosquito fitness.

Abstract

There is general agreement that the former (breeding) macrohabitat of the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus (synonym: Stegomyia albopicta) has been described as phytotelmata in the forested areas of Southeast Asia, however, this has changed in the last four decades as it has adapted to more urban areas and antrotelmata. Capable of producing eggs with a certain dry resistance as well as cold hardiness, populations of Ae. albopictus became distributed around the globe. The invasion of the Ae. albopictus across all over the world is thought to be the most rapid spread of any insect species in the last four decades in tropical, subtropical and temperate climate zones. In addition, Ae. albopictus is a potential vector for at least 27 viruses as well as for several parasites and plays a major role in the global transmission of dengue virus and chikungunya virus; and its contribution to the rapid spread of zika virus is currently under investigation. Therefore, this species is considered a serious threat to public health worldwide. This work broaches the issue of three investigations about the potential to adapt and establish stabile populations of the invasive Asian tiger mosquito Ae. albopictus. As a result of these investigations, a high potential for this species to become a threat to public health in many more countries, especially in temperate climatic zones, can be seen. Due to the fact on the one hand that Ae. albopictus can gain fitness advantages due to misapplied vector control measures and on the other hand of the high epigenetically adaptation potential, it is in summary recommended to focus further research on the development of vaccinations for viruses and other pathogens. By doing so, citizens will be protected without putting ecosystems and their services in danger and it is the even more economic solution.