Spread of city-loving malaria mosquitoes could pose grave threat to AfricaAn Asian malaria-carrying mosquito that has adapted to urban life has the potential to spread to dozens of cities across the African continent, a new modeling study suggests. The mosquito species, Anopheles stephensi, poses a serious new threat for African cities, says Francesca Frentiu, a geneticist at the Queensland University of Technology who was not involved in the research. But recently, scientists have also spotted A. stephensi, which is well adapted to city life and has long spread malaria in urban environments in Asia. The fact that countries in North Africa are susceptible is particularly concerning, as they currently have very little or no malaria and people there have no immunity. The World Health Organization has warned Africa about A. stephensi, calling for active mosquito surveillance.

Source: The North Africa Journal September 15, 2020 15:56 UTC