HEALTH Service Executive environmental officers have found 53 different species of mosquitoes in Ireland, including forms that carry malaria and the West Nile virus.
The investigations have been carried out throughout the last year by laying traps under bushes, near trees and in shady places located around various points of entry within the country, such as Dublin airport, Shannon airport, and the seaports of Dublin, Cork, Waterford, and Limerick.
Among the many 53 species, were the Anopheles plumbeus, which transmits malaria and the Culex pipiens, which can carry the West Nile virus.
Thankfully, no evidence of the Aedes species, which has been linked to the Zika virus, has been found.
It’s believed the change in Ireland’s climate is to blame for the insects making their way here. Wet and warmer weather attracts the mosquitoes, which would explain why the peak period for specimen collection last year was August and September.
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre said there were not enough of the species in Ireland to carry infected blood, and that large numbers are required to sustain a consistent spread of the infection.
The climate is still too cold for them to multiply, which is possibly the only time Irish people will be grateful for the perishing weather.
