title: First report in Italy of the exotic mosquito species Aedes (Finlaya) koreicus, a potential vector of arboviruses and filariae.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the Veneto region (north-eastern Italy) an entomological surveillance system has been implemented since the introduction of the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) in 1991. During the routine monitoring activity in a tiger mosquito-free area, an unexpected mosquito was noticed, which clearly did not belong to the recorded Italian fauna.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the end of May 2011, twelve larvae and pupae were collected in a small village in Belluno province (Veneto region) from a single manhole. Ten adults reared in the laboratory were morphologically and genetically identified as Aedes (Finlaya) koreicus (Edwards, 1917), a species native to Southeast Asia. The subsequent investigations carried out in the following months in the same village provided evidence that this species had become established locally. Entomological and epidemiological investigations are currently ongoing in the surrounding area, to verify the eventual extension of the species outside the village and to trace back the route of entry into Italy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first report in Italy of the introduction of the exotic mosquito Ae. koreicus. This species has been shown experimentally to be competent in the transmission of the Japanese encephalitis virus and of the dog heartworm Dirofilaria immitis and is considered a potential vector of other arboviruses. Thus, the establishment of this species may increase the current risk or pose new potential threats, for human and animal health. This finding considerably complicates the entomological monitoring of the Asian tiger mosquito Ae. albopictus in Italy and stresses the importance of implementing the entomological surveillance for the early detection of and the rapid response against invasive mosquito species.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Laboratory of Parasitology, Viale dell'Università 10, Legnaro, 35020, Italy. gcapelli@izsvenezie.it
authors.forename: Gioia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Capelli
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Drago
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martini
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Montarsi
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soppelsa
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Delai
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ravagnan
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mazzon
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schaffner
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mathis
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Luca
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Romi
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Russo
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000821:virology*; D000818:Animals; D001103:Arboviruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004183:Dirofilaria immitis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004184:Dirofilariasis / Q000469:parasitology; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000469:parasitology; D004285:Dogs; D006801:Humans; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000821:virology; D058865:Introduced Species; D007558:Italy
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins