Mosquito Alert in Dublin

The Fingal region of north Dublin, which experienced infestations of mosquitoes in the summer, is currently being examined by environmental researchers intent on trapping specimens from each of Ireland's 16 known species of mosquito. After intervention by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, Fingal County Council has employed scientists from University College Cork (UCC) to trap and identify the insects in an effort to detect whether new, disease-carrying breeds are now resident in the Dublin area.

Concerns have been raised that changes may have taken place in the mosquito population due to climatic temperature increases. This is turn could lead to the new phenomenon of tropical diseases being introduced to Ireland. In particular, the UCC scientists fear the arrival of the tiger mosquito, thought to have been responsible for spreading 'chikungunya fever', a disease known to cause multiple organ failure.

However, so far none of the existing species of mosquito in Ireland is believed to be the carrier of vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.