Counties in the southern United States have experienced an increase in the presence of mosquitoes capable of spreading chikungunya, dengue and the Zika virus, according to new CDC research published in the Journal of Medical Entomology.
For the study, researchers conducted vector surveillance on the presence of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes in counties in regions across the U.S. during the spring and fall of 2016. The researchers then compared this data to previous surveillance data obtained in 1995.
The 2016 data identified 38 new counties where the A. aegypti mosquito was present and 127 new counties where the A. albopictus existed, representing a 21 percent and 10 percent increase in the recorded mosquito population, respectively.
"These findings highlight the need for continued and improved mosquito surveillance," said the CDC in a release. "State and local health departments and mosquito control districts can use this information to plan for mosquito control and prevention activities in advance of possible outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases."
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