Taking JEMCA to the world stage

2021 is a landmark year for the Journal of the European Mosquito Control Association (JEMCA)! In the last 12 months we moved from self-publishing to the professional publisher Wageningen Academic Publishers (WAP). This is intended to gain efficiency in the submission, reviewing and publishing process, and also to get better indexed and evaluated, the final aim being to link authors and readers, promoting dissemination of science, improving knowledge on vectors and addressing related challenges.

Occurrence of Aedes cretinus in Cyprus based on information collected by citizen scientists

The current study presents a success story where through a small network of citizen scientists original information regarding the occurrence of Aedes cretinus was received, suggesting the absence of invasive Aedes species on the island of Cyprus. Citizen science records show that Ae. cretinus most likely has an island wide spatial distribution while its seasonal activity is limited to the spring and summer months. Data collected by citizen scientists under ‘The Three Mosquiteers’ citizen science initiative, provided more records than any efforts from the authorities in the last 73 years. The future success and the longevity of this initiative will be strongly dependent on the in-depth engagement and collaboration between local experts in entomology and citizen scientists.

Xth International EMCA Conference

Abstracts of the 10th EMCA Conference: “New insights into mosquito and blackfly control”. October 3-7, 2021.

Efficacy of used coffee grounds as larvicide against Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1894) and Ae. aegypti Linné, 1762 (Diptera: Culicidae)

Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti are two synanthropic, anthropophilic container-breeding mosquitoes. These species are very annoying, but are also vectors of dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, Zika, and Usutu viruses, and other pathogens. Because these mosquitoes breed very close to humans, cheap homemade methods, as alternatives to commercial insecticides, could be important for their control. Coffee being a very common beverage, the grounds extracted from used coffee capsules have been tested for their larvicidal efficacy. The grounds were extracted with either 30 ml or 70 ml of 65-70 °C water. The content of one capsule was used as a unit dose to treat the quantity of water contained in a medium sized flowerpot tray. The test provided a clear indication that at this dosage, the used coffee capsules were completely ineffective at killing the larvae of Aedes species, so this method cannot be suggested to control these mosquitoes.

Identification, surveillance and management of Aedes vexans in a flooded river valley in Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom

Aedes vexans is known to occur in large populations in riverine floodplains in much of Europe, where it can cause a significant biting nuisance and is often subject to large scale control strategies. Until recently it had only been reported in very small numbers in the United Kingdom. After receiving reports of nuisance biting near the river Idle, Nottinghamshire (East Midlands, England), mosquito surveillance was conducted over three years (2018-2020) using Mosquito Magnet adult traps. Ae. vexans was found in all years, in very high numbers, particularly in 2020, reaching a peak of almost 5,000 female mosquitoes per trap night, the highest reported density of trapped adult mosquitoes in the UK. Larval control was conducted in all years, and adult control in one year, however local peculiarities of flood and water management presents challenges and necessitates a multi-faceted approach. Strategies for further expansion of the control operation by developing strategies for water management, coupled with larval surveys to define the extent and seasonality of larval habitats, and application methods of Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis products are discussed.

Vectors and vector-borne diseases in Qatar: current status, key challenges and future prospects

Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) have re-emerged worldwide due to urbanisation, increase in travel and climate change, becoming a major and serious threat to global public health. In Qatar, the concern has recently risen because of the attribution of the soccer 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™, which necessitates fulfilling requirements in terms of prevention and preparedness for disease transmission, including VBDs. This review presents a general overview about current status of vectors and VBDs in Qatar and addresses key challenges and future prospects of control programmes and strategies. It is based on a vector control situation analysis and needs assessment performed during an expert mission in Qatar, November 2017, organised by the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office and achieved in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health of Qatar and other local stakeholders. The situation of vectors and VBDs of public health importance in Qatar was analysed based on a systematic literature review by December 31, 2019. The literature reveals that no locally transmitted VBD cases have been recorded in Qatar, but cases were recorded among expatriate workers and travellers who returned from an endemic country. However, data on VBD cases remain scarce except for malaria. The presence of native arthropod vectors is under-recorded to date. A compilation of literature data revealed reports of 30 vector species, including 20 mosquitoes, 2 fleas, 1 louse, 1 fly, and 6 ticks. Overall, Qatar benefits currently from a good surveillance of some VBDs (malaria) and has some capacities in vector control, but no national plan exists, and vector surveillance is in its infancy. In Qatar, clear needs exist in capacity in epidemiology and vector entomology, as well as on the organisational level, and a number of measures are suggested to mitigate and improve VBD risk assessment and management. There is an urgent need to define sustainable solutions for VBD control, management and prevention, and a number of recommendations are suggested.