Exploratory study of the presence of invasive mosquito species in Leamington, Ontario

The Windsor Essex County Health Unit will present on the study undertaken to document the presence of native and invasive mosquito species, such as Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti in Leamington Ontario, as well as to understand if they pose a risk for transmitting mosquito-borne diseases throughout the community, specifically within underserved populations (e.g., temporary foreign workers).

In 2016 and 2017, Windsor and Essex County became the first region in Canada to identify the presence of Ae. albopictus and Ae. aegypti respectively. Both of these mosquitoes have the potential to transmit viruses not normally seen in Canada, such as Zika, Dengue fever, and Chikungunya.The study involves increased mosquito surveillance and monitoring activities to collect, monitor and test mosquitoes to identify their geographic distribution, seasonal occurrence, and the absence or presence of viruses in the collected species.