A new species of mosquito has been discovered in Jamaica.
It is the Asian tiger mosquito or aedes albopictus which is similar to the aedes aegypti mosquito which is endemic to Jamaica and which transmits the dengue, Chikungunya, Zika and other viruses.
Acting Chief Public Health Inspector for St Catherine, Grayston Hutchinson told last Thursday’s monthly meeting of the St Catherine Municipal Corporation that the Asia tiger mosquito was discovered following surveillance throughout the island.
He was responding to questions from councillors attending the monthly meeting.
The tiger mosquito is so named because of its striped appearance, which resembles that of the tiger.
Similar to the aedes aegypti mosquito, the female is the carrier of several viruses, including yellow fever, dengue, Chikungunya and Zika.
