Mosquitoes of the Anopheles genus, capable of transmitting malaria, have been found in our country. This hasn’t happened for decades. Since the first report, a targeted investigation has been underway by researchers from the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Puglia and Basilicata
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The malaria mosquito, Anopheles sacharovi, she returned to our country. It hasn’t happened for 50 years, since the last report dating back to the late 1960s.
This is reported by a scientific study conducted by researchers from the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Puglia and Basilicata with particular focus on the South and published in the journal Pub Med.
It is precisely in Puglia that a single specimen of An. maculipennis sensu largo it was reported in September 2022 in Lecce. Since then a careful analysis has been underway. The discovery of the mosquito, identified from a molecular point of view as An. Sakharovin fact requested atargeted entomological investigation.
The researchers focused on the areas surrounding the discovery, where adult and immature mosquitoes were collected and routine tests carried out. The results locally confirmed the presence of the malaria mosquito.
Of the 11 sites investigated, 6 were positive for the presence of Anopheles. All 20 Years. maculipennis sl (7 adults, 10 larvae and 3 pupae) collected in the areas were identified as An. sacharovi by ITS-2 sequencing,” the researchers report in their work.
Experts underline how the data has a “strong relevance and health impact” as they experience an “increase in the receptivity of the southern areas”. According to scholars, we need to work on new models that allow us to work on forecasting and tracking the expansion of introduced malaria given the cases of malaria recorded every year in European countries.
The risk of introduction of Plasmodium by gametocyte carriers among travelers from endemic countries should be taken into greater consideration” warn the experts.
There are more than 400 species of Anopheles in the world. Of these, approximately 60 are capable of transmitting malaria. While malaria is an endemic infectious disease in Africa, in other non-endemic countries its transmission is linked to travel and travel.
The results therefore make it necessary to monitor anopheism, i.e. the presence of mosquitoes belonging to the genus Anopheles in a specific geographical territory.
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Source: Pub Med
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