In a statement, the Ministry of Health explains that this tool, developed through the Centre for the Coordination of Alerts and Health Emergencies (CCAES), has opted for citizen science and allows anyone to provide information on the presence and activity of invasive species, such as the tiger mosquito or the Japanese mosquito.
The aim of the platform is to study the expansion of the tiger mosquito beyond the known limit in Spain, to generate the first bite map to identify where and when there is greater interaction between people and mosquitoes, to expand knowledge about the distribution of the Japanese mosquito and to detect the possible arrival of the yellow fever mosquito.
“Mosquito Alert” is a project of the Blanes Centre for Advanced Studies of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), the Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF) and the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA).
The CSIC researcher, Frederic Bartumeus, said that the incorporation of “citizen science” for this activity is a pioneering action at European level, and allows the collection of massive data and a constant dialogue with the general public.
In addition, Fernando Simón, the director of the CCAES, says that we must take advantage of the information that we constantly generate on mobile phones for vector control and many other public health issues.
With the information provided by the public, after validation and classification by experts from the National Network of Digital Entomology (ReNED), dynamic risk maps are produced to enable a faster and more efficient response to mosquito-related health problems.
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I religiously eliminate water sources, keep the pool chlorinated, empty dogs bowls and flower pots, and keep depositos covered, but my neighbours don't, so I likely get 20+ bites an evening on my terrace May-September. That said, having lived in Africa and South America, it's water off a ducks back. Now I'm supposed to report them 🤣?