Mosquitoes are not only a significant nuisance, but also an actual health threat. Among the 68 species reported in Italy, autochthonous Culex pipiens maintains endemic transmission of West Nile virus, while invasive Aedes albopictus has been responsible of outbreaks of exotic Chikungunya and Dengue viruses. Other invasive Asian Aedes vectors (Ae. japonicus and Ae. koreicus) are spreading in the country. Recognizing this threat, in 2020 the Italian Ministry of Health issued the `National Plan for the prevention, surveillance and control of arboviruses¿ prescribing actions to be taken at regional level to prevent mosquito-borne arbovirus transmission. Although entomological monitoring is an essential pillar of the plan, large-scale implementation is hampered by high costs.
We propose to implement and assess the potential of a low-cost citizen science-based mosquito monitoring approach exploiting the use of an app for smart phones (MosquitoAlert) which allows citizens to send to the research team photos of mosquitoes and larval sites and notifications of bites.
Specifically, we have 5 goals:
1) develop a high-quality citizens¿ engagement campaign to promote MosquitoAlert;
2) develop a relational geo-database system for native/invasive mosquito species records and for specimens collected by the research group and by citizens;
3) develop real-time maps of spatial/seasonal distribution of vector species;
4) predict the probability of risk to be bitten by a vector species;
5) organize a final event for result dissemination among stakeholders.
Our long term vision is to foster a virtuous circle among citizens (who will provide data and see them used for optimized mosquito control), scientists (who will exploit the data to build real-time maps of mosquito vector distribution and arbovirus risk and for research purposes), public administrators (who will gather low-cost monitoring data for control planning) and Pest Control Companies (who will use data for precision control).
The scientific goal of the project is to provide a new approach to face the need of updated data on spatio-temporal distribution of native and invasive mosquito species in Lazio and to identify and evaluate their interactions with humans and human-made environmental modifications, including mosquito control interventions (e.g. chemical insecticides). These updates are instrumental for a successful implementation of PNA (as they will allow to better target the entomological surveillance activities), as well as for the development of evidence-based PMC implementing the most locally-appropriated control tools and for its convenient management.
The innovative aspect of the project is the engagement of citizens in providing data to the researchers and the commitment of the researchers in transferring the acquired new knowledge to the citizens in order to create a community more aware of public health risks associated to mosquito disease vectors and more prepared to contribute in the reduction of mosquito nuisance.
The budget provided by the ATENEO grant will not allow us to extend our entomological surveillance and population engagement activities out of Lazio Region. However, some of the dissemination activities (e.g. printed and social media and TV interviews), as well as parallel activities carried out by the national collaborating groups within the Mosquito Alert ITALY Task Force, will reach citizens and allow to obtain Mosquito Alert records and samples from other regions. The analytical approaches developed in the frame of the project will be certainly made available for the analysis of these additional data. Nevertheless, we will focus first in analysing data and samples from Lazio in order to achieve the specific objectives proposed (see above). In doing so, we expect to provide 3 elements of progress beyond the state of the art:
1- novel data to update the current knowledge on mosquito species composition and biodiversity (including possible new invasive species already reported in northern Italian regions) and on the spatio-temporal dynamics of the most dangerous vector species in Lazio region.
2- strengthening of the relationship between researchers and citizens and creation of a community more aware of PH risks associated to mosquito borne diseases and of individual measures to be implemented at the individual level to prevent and reduce mosquito larval sites, and eventually their multiplications. The implementation of CS activities and the dissemination of the results in the project¿s final event have the potential to create an impact beyond the specific field, i.e. the increase of trust in science and PH which is strongly needed in our society.
3- production of data freely and openly available to PHMs in charge of mosquito control in the Region as well at the Municipality level. This, in our expectations, will rise their interest in CS approaches in general, and Mosquito Alert in particular, as useful approaches to complement conventional pest management surveys and to provide low-cost but reliable evidence to support PMC in Italy.
Our long-term vision - not achievable within the ATENEO-funded project, but certainly triggered by it - is to foster a virtuous circle among citizens (who will provide new data difficult to obtain by the entomological traditional monitoring and see them used for optimized mosquito control, increase their knowledge in mosquito biology and their competences to prevent and limit their multiplication), scientists (who will exploit the new data to build real-time dynamic maps of mosquito vector spatio-temporal distribution and of risk of MBDs, and to address new research questions and working hypotheses), public administrators (who will be interested in promoting the app use for gathering low cost mosquito monitoring data for mosquito control planning) and Pest Control Companies (who will use data for precision mosquito control). This virtuous cycle is expected to increase the cost-effectiveness of mosquito control campaigns. In leading this process, the Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases in Sapienza University will contribute to improve Lazio Region¿s preparedness to mosquito-borne diseases and reinforce its role as a reference to the public health system and to citizen. This objective is in perfect agreement with Sapienza University 'third mission' to provide its know-how and high-quality expertise to contribute to the development of contemporary society through valorisation of research and production of public goods, including health protection, continuing education and public engagement, by focusing on cultural activities of public benefit, science dissemination, citizen involvement in research, interaction with the world of education.
If successful in Lazio region, we will use this as a proof-of-concept to extend the approach to other Italian regions and reinforce the implementation of Mosquito Alert at the European level.