Categories: Health

Presence of Aedes albopictus in Tunisia

March 7, 2024

After Algeria And Moroccomosquito Aedes albopictus was first discovered in Tunisia in 2018, which raised concerns among local health authorities due to the risk of introducing new human arboviral diseases.

This is known from a study that assessed vector competence Ae. albopictus Tunisia as a result of experimental infection with chikungunya (CHIKV), dengue (DENV) and Zika (ZIKV) viruses, which Ae. albopictus from Tunisia was highly competent for CHIKV (25% transmission efficiency 21 days after infection) and, to a lesser extent, for ZIKV (8.7%) and DENV (8.3%). The virus was detected in mosquito saliva 3 days (CHIKV), 10 days (ZIKV) and 21 days (DENV) after infection.

As a result of its implementation in the capital of Tunisia, local health authorities fear the emergence of new human arboviral diseases, as happened in Europe with unexpected local cases of chikungunya, dengue and Zika.

Ten species of mosquitoes belonging to the genus Aedes (Stegomy) (Diptera:Culicidae): Ae. Berlandi, Ae. Caspian, Ae. detritus, Ae. echinus, Ae. geniculatus, Ae. Marie, Ae. pulkritharsis, Ae. vexans, Ae. vittatus, and finally, Ae. albopictus .

In the Mediterranean region, Ae. albopictus It was first discovered in Albania in 1979 and again in Italy in 1990. It quickly spread to all European Mediterranean countries. In North Africa, it was reported in Algeria in 2014–2015 and in Morocco in 2015.

Tunisia is tourist country open, which annually welcomes 8 million tourists from around the world, and the local population is immunologically sensitive to three arboviruses.