Merida Yucatan (June 10, 2020).- “The giant black mosquito that has arisen as a result of the rain and wind brought by tropical storm “Cristóbal” to the Yucatan peninsula does not represent any threat to the population, as up to now it has not yet been confirmed that in Mexico this vector transmits encephalitis”, reported the research professor at the Regional Research Center “Dr. Hideyo Noguchi ”from UADY, Carlos Baak Baak.
The Autonomous University of Yucatan professor reported that six species of the genus Psorophora are reported in Yucatan, but the most common are the Psorophora ferox and the Psorophora cyanescens. In other parts of the continent, mainly in Central and South America, if it has been detected that they are possible transmitters of Venezuelan equine encephalitis, but so far it does not represent a serious risk for the Mexican population.
He stressed that this species has always been present, since it lives in humid places where it lays its eggs in temporary ponds filled with rainwater, in Yucatan it is normal to see them in rural, suburban areas and even on the outskirts of the city of Mérida. However, due to the gusts of wind and the rain, these were brought to the city from their common areas and that is why we have this phenomenon.
Baak Baak explained that these mosquitoes are characterized by being persistent and causing painful bites, since they normally feed on animals with thick skins such as deer, horses, and cows, so their proboscis is more robust than that of the common mosquitoes that exist. in Merida.
Adults are generally visible in the rainy season, and now that we had the storm for more than three days, the city accumulated a large amount of rain and strong windstorms, which caused a large number of mosquitoes to arrive. That is why we are seeing a proliferation of these large mosquitoes,” the expert said.
The professor recommended to the population the constant use of repellent and to keep doors and windows closed in the houses, in addition to emptying all the containers such as buckets and tires that have been filled with water, this to avoid the spread of this and other species such as the Aedes aegypti, transmitter of diseases such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya.