First observation of Aedes albopictus in the Tshuapa province (Boende) of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Discipline
Biological sciences
Subject
Invertebrates
Audience
Scientific
Date
2022Metadata
Show full item recordDescription
In May-June 2021, we detected Aedes albopictus adults near the central hospital in Boende, the capital city of the Tshuapa province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). We identified the mosquitoes using morphological and molecular techniques (COI barcoding). This is the first report of this species in the DRC outside of Kinshasa and Kongo Central. Given the central location of Boende in the Congo Basin, our finding suggests that the vector might also have spread to other cities which are located upstream of the Congo River and its major tributaries. Because Aedes albopictus is an important vector for human arbovirus transmission, we highlight the need to investigate its distribution range and to update disease risk maps in Central Africa.
Citation
Marien, J.; Laurent, N.; Smitz, N.; Gombeer, S. (2022). First observation of Aedes albopictus in the Tshuapa province (Boende) of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. , African Entomology, Vol. 30, e11932, DOI: https://doi.org//10.17159/2254-8854/2022/a11932.Identifiers
Type
Article
Peer-Review
Yes
Language
eng