Zika-Carrying Mosquitoes Expand U.S. Range, CDC Reports

The southern United States shows a substantial increase in the number of counties that reported evidence of the mosquitoes that can spread chikungunya, dengue, and Zika viruses, according to new research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published in the Journal of Medical Entomology June 19.

In the spring and fall of 2016, CDC conducted surveys to record where Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes were found. The latest 2016 data add Ae. aegypti collection records from 38 new counties and Ae. albopictus collection records from 127 new counties, a 21 percent and 10 percent increase, compared with the previous report, in the number of counties that report the presence of these mosquitoes.

These findings highlight the need for continued and improved mosquito surveillance. State and local health departments and mosquito control districts can use this information to plan for mosquito control and prevention activities in advance of possible outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases. For more information: www.cdc.gov/zika.