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Project

Monitoring of exotic mosquitoes in Belgium (MEMO+)

The introduction of exotic Aedes mosquito species (EAMS) has been recognized for several years as a potential threat to biodiversity and health in Europe and also in Belgium. These mosquitoes may be vectors of Aedes-borne infections (Aedes borne diseases ABD) such as chikungunya, dengue or Zika. Therefore, surveillance of mosquitoes is of utmost importance so that if EAMS is detected, early action can be taken to prevent or delay as much as possible their introduction and establishment. The cost of preventing or delaying EAMS establishment is much less than costs that will occur once EAMS are established and there is transmission of ABD. Since the first detection of an exotic Aedes species in Belgium in 2000, governments have funded specific projects to monitor mosquitoes, such as the MEMO and MEMO+ projects conducted by the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITG).
A number of elements are necessary to prevent the occurrence of human cases of ABD due to autochthonous transmission in Belgium. These include proper surveillance of EAMS, proper surveillance of ABD and integrated analysis to cross and interpret this information in a timely manner. All of these elements are essential and only a good collaboration between them can ensure that local transmission of ABD is effectively avoided. Linking clinical and entomological surveillance and integrating these results into the broader national and international context will allow authorities to advise on the necessary measures to reduce health impacts.
Date:14 Sep 2021 →  Today
Project type:Collaboration project