Scientists on the College of Glasgow have acquired greater than 700 experiences of mosquitoes from throughout Scotland, together with from Dumfries and Galloway within the south to Shetland within the north, due to an “unbelievable response from the general public” to a citizen science undertaking launched final 12 months.
Since Could 2024 members of the general public have shared a whole lot of photos of mosquitoes – in addition to footage of bites inflicted by the bugs – with researchers through the Mosquito Scotland web site.
Mosquitoes are a pure a part of Scottish ecosystems and might have optimistic impacts on the surroundings via their position in meals webs. While mosquitoes generally is a supply of infectious illnesses in some components of the world, they don’t pose a well being threat in Scotland at current. Nonetheless, they could be a supply of nuisance biting. Researchers intention to grasp their biodiversity and position within the ecosystem, alongside how the general public work together with these bugs.
As mosquito exercise in Scotland picks up transferring in direction of summer time, the Mosquito Scotland crew are urging the general public to proceed sending of their mosquito sightings, which can allow the undertaking to precisely observe and perceive the ecology of those bugs.
Whereas many of the 21 completely different mosquito species current in Scotland don’t chew individuals, this examine discovered that a number of species will be supply of nuisance biting, indicating that human publicity to the bugs is greater throughout Scotland than is often thought.
Sightings of mosquitoes had been despatched to the Mosquito Scotland crew each month within the final 12 months, with experiences peaking within the spring and summer time, but in addition persevering with in cooler months proper as much as December. Mosquitoes had been noticed throughout the size and breadth of Scotland, with a sighting within the Shetland Isles now the northernmost mosquito document for the UK.
Mosquitoes have been noticed in many various habitats throughout the nation, however experiences present that they’re mostly reported in woodland areas – significantly in pine forests within the east of the nation, in addition to indoors in giant city centres corresponding to Glasgow.
The crew additionally acquired many experiences of mosquito nuisance, the place mosquitoes had not solely been noticed however had actively been making an attempt to chew individuals, generally in giant numbers. By way of observe up work, the analysis crew had been capable of affirm three mosquito species, Aedes cantans, Aedes punctor and Aedes rusticus, as the primary supply of nuisance biting in Scotland. All these species are native to the UK and are identified to chew people.
Dr Georgia Kirby, the researcher operating the citizen science survey, stated: “There have been a number of areas of Scotland the place we acquired a lot of experiences of bites however only a few photographs of the culprits – understandably, as most individuals don’t wish to maintain nonetheless for a photograph whereas they’re being bitten by bugs.
“We had suspected that midges or clegs could possibly be accountable, however in our follow-up investigations we invariably discovered that these areas had been swarming with mosquitoes – proving that individuals in Scotland are good at recognising them and distinguishing them from extra acquainted bugs. Most of those websites had been areas of dense woodland, which is a key habitat for a number of aggressive human-biting mosquito species.”
Though mosquitoes don’t presently pose any infectious illness threat to people in Scotland, their bites could cause itching, discomfort and native swelling. The analysis crew wish to increase consciousness that individuals will be uncovered to mosquito bites in Scotland, and supply steerage on easy precautions to stop this. This contains making use of insect repellent and carrying lengthy sleeves throughout summer time months when mosquitoes are energetic in forested areas. These strategies may also shield in opposition to different biting pests corresponding to ticks and midges.
Heather Ferguson, Professor of Infectious Illness Ecology on the College of Glasgow, who leads the undertaking, stated: “We’re delighted and grateful for the optimistic response and enthusiasm from members of the general public for this undertaking. Their participation has helped fill giant gaps in our understanding of mosquitoes each in Scotland and the UK extra usually, which is permitting us to construct an image of how the biodiversity advantages, and any potential dangers, posed by these species will reply to environmental change. We might love to listen to extra from the general public in 2025.”
Mosquito Scotland is a collaborative undertaking between the College of Glasgow, the MRC-College of Glasgow Centre for Virus Analysis (CVR), the UK Well being Safety Company (UKHSA) and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH). The undertaking incorporates the views of stakeholders from Public Well being Scotland, the Scottish Authorities and environmental companies.
Professor Dominic Mellor, Marketing consultant in Veterinary Public Well being at Public Well being Scotland, stated: “The Mosquito Scotland undertaking is enjoying an important position in serving to us to grasp extra concerning the mosquito species we’ve in our nation. Particularly, the citizen science points are offering detailed data, beforehand missing, concerning the presence and variety of mosquito species which might be being discovered throughout Scotland. Such data is invaluable in serving to us perceive and put together appropriately for potential dangers to public well being that may come up because of local weather change.”
The undertaking, which was awarded a £1.25m grant from UK Analysis & Innovation and DEFRA in 2023, is the primary to evaluate the danger of mosquito-borne pathogen emergence in Scotland beneath present and future local weather change eventualities. Researchers intention to search out out which mosquito species are current in Scotland, the place they’re discovered, whether or not they’re harbouring any illnesses presently or if they may grow to be contaminated by pathogens that will broaden into the UK with local weather change.
So far, researchers have discovered mosquitoes in nearly each place they regarded, masking the size and breadth of Scotland. Efforts to search out and entice mosquitoes throughout Scotland are being led by Dr Georgia Kirby and PhD Scholar Meshach Lee within the College’s College of Biodiversity, One Well being and Veterinary Medication. To this point, they’ve collected greater than 4000 mosquitoes throughout Scotland, in a spread of areas, from parks in city Glasgow to nature reserves on the northern coast of the nation.
The Mosquito Scotland web site has directions on how the general public can be a part of the search by registering a mosquito sighting and importing a photograph, with tips about learn how to recognise these bugs, and knowledge on their ecology. Folks can request a follow-up from the analysis crew about the kind of mosquito they’ve discovered (if high quality {photograph} is submitted) or ship lifeless mosquitoes for identification.
The knowledge is used to grasp how frequent some mosquitoes are throughout the nation, and which sorts are most definitely to be discovered round individuals. Crucially the info will probably be used to generate baseline data for longer-term monitoring of how mosquitoes reply to local weather change.
Dr Emilie Pondeville, Senior Analysis Fellow at MRC-College of Glasgow (CVR), who co-leads the undertaking, stated: “We’ve been delighted to see such a participation to the Mosquito Scotland citizen science undertaking. The info gathered is invaluable for understanding mosquito biodiversity in Scotland and assessing the potential dangers these species could pose because the local weather adjustments. We look ahead to participating with much more members in 2025.”
Whereas mosquitoes don’t presently pose a threat to public well being in Scotland, they’re already capable of transmit illnesses to birds in different components of the UK. Birds in each wild populations and zoos (e.g. penguins) have been considerably affected by mosquito-borne pathogens corresponding to Usutu Virus and avian malaria in England, and the analysis will assist assess if comparable threats are current in Scotland.
All through the undertaking, researchers will probably be conducting surveillance of mosquitoes and screening migratory birds throughout Scotland for the presence of rising zoonotic pathogens, together with West Nile and Usutu viruses; and outcomes will probably be used to mannequin the danger of pathogen introduction and transmission.
