A tropical mosquito known to carry potentially fatal diseases such as dengue and yellow fever has been detected in California, raising concerns among public health officials and prompting intense efforts to eradicate the insect.
No illnesses associated with the mosquito, known by the scientific name Aedes aegypti, have been reported since it first appeared in California’s Central Valley in June, and none of the specimens trapped and tested has been found to be infected.
But the species’ feeding and breeding habits make it a voracious pest, which if allowed to propagate could pose a serious new health threat to the nation’s most populous state while diminishing its outdoor lifestyle, authorities say.
The small dark mosquito, distinguished by white markings and banded legs, feeds aggressively during the day, is especially fond of humans, often bites indoors, and requires very little standing water to reproduce, BBC informs.
“If it gets established, it’s going to change the way we live in California,” Tim Phillips, manager of the Fresno Mosquito and Vector Control District, which identified some of the first small invaders, said on Wednesday.
“We’re not going to be able to go out on the patio and have a beer or have a barbecue without being eaten up by these things,” he added.
