Actions in the Valencian Autonomous Region against the tiger mosquito and arboviruses in the period 2016-2021

e202505026

Abstract

BACKGROUND // In recent years, arboviruses have become increasingly important in Europe due to autochthonous outbreaks of emerging and re-emerging diseases such as chikungunya fever, dengue and Zika. These viruses represent a threat in temperate areas such as the Valencian Community (CV), where the presence of their vector, the Asian tiger mosquito, is widely distributed. The objective of this work was to report on the actions carried out within the CV Programme, in the management of declared cases of imported arboviruses from 2016 to 2021.

METHODS // To this end, coordinated work procedures had been implemented between the Generalitat Valenciana and the University of Valencia in order to reduce the risk of autochthonous transmission through detection, surveillance and monitoring of the vector, as well as entomological surveys in the vicinity of the residence of infected citizens. The sample size consisted of forty-five imported cases, which had been analysed with the statistical software R version 3.3.

RESULTS // The presence of established tiger mosquito populations had been corroborated in a total of 273 municipalities during the study period, increasing the number of affected localities by the end of 2021 to 464 out of the total of 542 in the VC. The response time from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis, the time elapsed from diagnosis to reporting to the corresponding Environmental Health Unit and the completion of the entomological survey had been evaluated.

CONCLUSIONS // Vector surveillance is essential. The time between the onset of the patient’s symptoms and the diagnosis by health professionals must be reduced. The most numerous imported cases are those of dengue from Asia and Central America with 87.5% of hospitalizations.