title: First record of Aedes albopictus in inland Africa along the River Niger in Bamako and Mopti, Mali.
abstract: The distribution of Aedes albopictus in Africa has thus far been known to be restricted to coastal Sub-Saharan countries. This report describes the first record of the tiger mosquito in habitats located in Mali, at a significant distance from the coastal areas of the continent. Aedes albopictus was observed over several years in increasing frequency in Mopti in Central Mali and later in the capital city Bamako, both adjacent to the Niger River. These findings suggest further dissemination of Ae. albopictus could be facilitated by river transport of goods and commodities which harbor larvae and eggs of this species. If correct, the distribution of Ae. albopictus is expected to extend to areas located upstream of the Niger River and its tributaries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, IMRIC, Kuvin Centre for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91120, Israel. Electronic address: guntercmuller@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Günter C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, United States.
authors.forename: Onie
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tsabari
authors.affiliation: Malaria Research and Training Center, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Odontostomatology, University of Bamako, BP 1805, Bamako, Mali.
authors.forename: Mohamed M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Traore
authors.affiliation: Malaria Research and Training Center, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Odontostomatology, University of Bamako, BP 1805, Bamako, Mali.
authors.forename: Sekou F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Traore
authors.affiliation: Malaria Research and Training Center, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Odontostomatology, University of Bamako, BP 1805, Bamako, Mali.
authors.forename: Seydou
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Doumbia
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel.
authors.forename: Vasiliy D
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Kravchenko
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, IMRIC, Kuvin Centre for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91120, Israel.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Junnila
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, United States.
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Beier
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes; D000818:Animals; D017753:Ecosystem; D007814:Larva; D008302:Mali / Q000453:epidemiology; D045483:Rivers
keywords: Aedes albopictus; Mali; Niger river