First observation of Aedes albopictus in the Tshuapa province (Boende) of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Mariën, 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. Afr. Entomol. 30: e11932. https://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2254-8854/2022/a11932
In: African Entomology. Entomological Society of Southern Africa: Pretoria. ISSN 1021-3589; e-ISSN 2224-8854, more
In May–June 2021, we collected Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1894) adults near the central hospital in Boende, the capital of Tshuapa province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). We identified the mosquitoes using morphological and DNA-based techniques. 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 indicates that the vector might also have spread to other cities which are located on the Congo River and its major tributaries. We highlight the need to investigate the distribution of Ae. albopictus and to update disease risk maps for Central Africa, as it is an important vector for human arbovirus transmission.
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