# Detection of invasive Aedes vittatus mosquitoes in Jamaica: molecular identification and surveillance implications

## TL;DR

Aedes vittatus mosquitoes, an invasive species linked to arbovirus transmission, have been detected in Jamaica for the first time, highlighting the need for surveillance and molecular identification.

## Contribution

This is the first confirmed report of Ae. vittatus in Jamaica and includes the first complete annotated mitochondrial genomes of this species.

## Key findings

- Aedes vittatus was detected in six locations across four parishes in Jamaica.
- Both larvae and adults were collected in rural and urban areas.
- Phylogenetic analysis showed clustering with specimens from Cuba, Nepal, and India.

## Abstract

Aedes vittatus, an emerging invasive mosquito of significant public health concern has slowly made its way onto the global radar. With a known geographical range in Africa and Asia, where it is a competent vector for several arboviruses, this mosquito has now been reported in the Americas. As the spread of this mosquito has been partly linked to transcontinental trade and travel, Jamaica, the largest English-speaking country in the Caribbean, which serves as a central hub for trade and transport throughout the region, has been on alert since its identification in neighboring Dominican Republic and Cuba.

BG sentinel traps baited with dry ice and a Prokopack aspirator were used to collect adult mosquitoes whereas disposable plastic pipettes were utilized for the collection of immature stages. Larvae were reared to adults, and all mosquitoes were identified using taxonomic keys. Using a genome skimming approach, the mitochondrial genome from two specimens was sequenced and a section of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene was extracted from each mitochondrial genome and used for phylogenetic analysis.

Through ongoing surveillance efforts from January 2023 to October 2024, we report the detection of Ae. vittatus across six locations in four parishes in Jamaica. Both larvae and adults were collected from rural and urban areas in the country. Additionally, we present the first complete annotated mitochondrial genomes from two specimens of this invasive mosquito species. Phylogenetic analysis using the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene extracted from the derived mitochondrial genomes of Jamaican Ae. vittatus and available sequences from the GenBank database revealed clustering with specimens from Cuba, Nepal, and India.

This study is the first confirmed report of Ae. vittatus in Jamaica. Furthermore, it highlights the benefits of routine surveillance and the power of molecular approaches to identify invasive species and their potential origins.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-025-07066-6.