Ministry of Health – Press Service

Madrid, June 20, 2024 – The Ministry of Health held the first training conference on the National Plan for the Control of Vector-Borne Diseases, organized by the Center for the Coordination of Health Alerts and Emergency Situations (CCAES), where the Mosquito Alert application was discussed, which has enabled up to 21% of tiger mosquito detections in Spain since 2014 to be made thanks to citizens

The conference allowed the content of the Plan to be detailed, its various sections and emphasized the consolidation of citizen science as its fundamental element. There was also a call for citizen participation, promoting the second year in a row to use Mosquito Alert for surveillance and early detection of disease-carrying mosquitoes, with the goal of replicating the previous season’s achievements.

Mosquito Alert is an initiative that allows citizens to report the presence of mosquitoes using photographs. Early detection of such cases is possible thanks to an alert system that combines the speed of artificial intelligence (AI) with human precision, provided by the ReNED (National Network of Digital Entomology) entomology community. Each image received is processed based on its location and the known distribution of the identified species, and when a species is detected in a municipality where its presence was not known, CCAES is automatically notified, informing and urging autonomous communities to take appropriate action. solutions.

“21% of tiger mosquito detections in Spain since 2014 have been made by citizens. From a scientific perspective, we have demonstrated that citizen science is both effective in detecting invasive mosquitoes and effective, being 8 times more cost-effective than traditional surveillance. For this reason, it is an excellent complement to traditional surveillance methods,” explained Frederic Barthumeus, co-director of Mosquito Alert and researcher at the Center for Advanced Study of Blanes (CEAB – CSIC).

If he bites you, let us know! New call to action

Last year, under the slogan “If it bites, let us know!” the use of the application as envisaged in the National Plan was promoted. As a result, 96 new municipalities were identified in which the presence of the tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) was detected for the first time (See map in note 1.). An example of this success is the first discovery of the tiger mosquito in Galicia. Effective coordination between Mosquito Alert, Xunta de Galicia and the Galician Vector Surveillance Network made it possible to confirm the presence of the tiger mosquito on the ground in less than 24 hours.

“The massive citizen response resulted in more than 17,956 mosquito image reports and 28,596 state-level bite notifications in 2023,” added John R.B. Palmer, co-director of Mosquito Alert and Pompeu Fabra University.

Given the success achieved, this year’s goal is to consolidate and expand the Mosquito Alert user community. “Greater participation will allow us to more effectively monitor the spread of tiger mosquitoes, facilitating flexible and rapid response and implementation of appropriate measures,” said Lucia García San Miguel of CCAES.

Information materials for the campaign “If it bites, let us know!” They are available on the Mosquito Alert website, so any interested person or institution can download them and join the initiative:

Problems associated with the rise in mosquito-borne diseases

In 2024, there was a significant increase in the incidence of dengue worldwide, especially in America, where WHO has already recorded more than 7.5 million cases of the disease. In Europe, 2023 marked the highest number of imported cases since surveillance began in 2008. Facing what is expected to be a challenging summer, entomological surveillance is critical, especially given the large number of intercontinental movements heading towards Europe. .

Throughout the day, in addition to promoting the use of the Mosquito Alert system to report bites received and promoting research into areas where there is greater interaction between humans and mosquitoes, the importance of raising awareness of personal protection measures was emphasized.

In this context, the importance of using repellents, installing mosquito nets at home and eliminating pools of water where mosquitoes can breed was emphasized.

Regarding international mobility, the travel community, especially those visiting areas with a high risk of dengue infection, are urged to reconsider pre- and post-travel health guidelines. Upon returning to Spain, it is important to closely monitor dengue fever symptoms, avoid mosquito bites, and seek medical attention if symptoms appear within fifteen days of return.