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Dengue Fever Capable Mosquito Now In SoCal Aedes Albopictus In Orange County, California >From Patricia Doyle, PhD [EMAIL PROTECTED] 9-22-4 The Ae Albopictus is one of the mosquitos that can transmit Dengue and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever,. Yellow Fever as well as the Equine Encephalitis Viruses and, of course, West Nile and West Nile LIKE NY 99 viruses. In 1999 we heard about a couple of mosquitos that were found in areas of the US for the first time, namely, in Connecticut across from Plum Island, we heard about the Aedes Japonicus. Also, that year, we heard about the Asian Tiger Mosquito, namely, the Ae Albopictus. It is not fantasy to warn of an epidemiological scenerio that could play out in California or in areas where this mosquito is now found. That scenerio could play out as such: Cases of Dengue Fever spread throughout Orange County due to migrant farm workers who come into the US carrying Dengue Fever and are bitten by the Ae. Albopictus. The Ae. Albopictus, now infected with Dengue, bites area residents in Orange County who then become infected with Dengue. The same scenerio could play out with Yellow Fever, various Equine Encephalitis viruses or West Nile. It has been found by a recent study in Texas that mosquitos were found to carry West Nile Virus during the winter months in Texas as well as other Gulf Coast states. If the Ae. Albopictus remains in Orange County and spreads south to Southern California and onto Baja, we could see diseases like Dengue, Yellow Fever, West Nile etal become endemic and ingrained in that area on year long basis. Patricia Doyle Date: 20 Sep 2004 From: ProMED-mail Source: Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep 2004 http://www.latimes.com/ Aedes albopictus in Orange County, CA Orange County Vector Control District investigators are searching in Orange County for evidence of the latest pest to arrive here, the Asian tiger mosquito (_Aedes albopictus_), which can transmit yellow fever and dengue fever. The yard-to-yard search, which was launched after a resident complained of a bite from an unusual-looking mosquito, has uncovered either Asian tiger adults or larvae at 6 locations, said Russell Sipe, the district's project coordinator. More than 600 homes in a quarter-mile (about 400 metre) radius are being checked. The search should conclude by Mon or Tue [20/21 Sep 2004], Sipe said. The workers are searching standing water for mosquitoes and taking any they find to labs for testing. The mosquito is "very aggressive, very vicious," said Michael Hearst, a district spokesman. "We warn people about dawn and dusk, but this mosquito bites during the day." He said there is no evidence that local insects are carrying yellow fever or dengue fever. Many yellow fever infections are mild, but the disease can cause life-threatening illness. Symptoms of severe infection are high fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, vomiting and backache. Most people who develop dengue fever recover completely within 2 weeks. Some, however, may experience several weeks of tiredness and/or depression. Neither disease is present in California. Because the Asian tiger mosquito prefers to bite mammals instead of birds, it is not considered a significant threat to spread West Nile virus. The Asian tiger mosquito is thought to have arrived aboard a pleasure boat towed from the south east, Hearst said. -- ProMED-mail <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> [_Aedes albopictus_, popularly known as the Asian Tiger mosquito because of its striped appearance, was 1st found breeding in the USA in 1985 in Houston, Texas. Since then, it has gradually spread further north, to northern New Jersey along the Atlantic coast, and to Illinois. By 2003, it had spread to 28 US States. But this is not the first time it has been reported from California. Larvae were found in 1971 in tires off-loaded in Oakland from a ship from Viet Nam (see Madon MB, Mulla MS, Shaw MW, Kluh S Hazelrigg JE. Introduction of _Aedes albopictus_ (Skuse) in Southern California and potential for its establishment. Journal of Vector Ecology 2002; 27: 149-54). It would be interesting to learn exactly how this mosquito arrived in California "aboard a pleasure boat towed from the south east". _Ae. albopictus_ is susceptible to experimental infection with many arboviruses, and, although it transmits dengue in south east Asia, it is not a particularly efficient vector. But, interestingly, it was incriminated as a vector of dengue in Hawaii in 2001. In 2000, it was found infected with West Nile virus in Pennsylvania (see archive reference number 20001104.1922 below). In much of the USA, however, it seems more likely that it could be a bridge vector of indigenous viruses like LaCrosse and the equine encephalitis viruses. This mosquito is a known vector of dirofilariasis, and so, in the USA, it could transmit _Dirofilaria_ species. - Mod.MS] Patricia A. Doyle, PhD Please visit my "Emerging Diseases" message board at: http://www.clickitnews.com/ubbthreads/postlist.php? Cat=&Board=emergingdiseases Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa Go with God and in Good Health http://rense.com/general57/deng.htm __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Y! Messenger - Communicate in real time. Download now. http://messenger.yahoo.com Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/E-MAIL_TRIVIA/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
