August 20, 2025|
AI
|4 months agoBasel Study Confirms No Tropical Virus Risk from Local Mosquitoes
Comprehensive analysis of over 5,000 mosquitoes finds no evidence of dengue, Zika, or chikungunya, though native Usutu virus detected.
AI
Generated IllustrationKey Takeaways
AI
- No traces of dengue, chikungunya, Zika, or West Nile viruses were found in Basel-Stadt mosquitoes.
- The native Usutu virus was the only pathogen detected in the screened mosquitoes.
- Native Culex mosquitoes account for the vast majority of the local population.
- Chikungunya cases have been reported in neighboring France, near Strasbourg.
By The Numbers
5,674
Mosquitoes analyzed
97.6%
Proportion of native Culex mosquitoes
2.4%
Proportion of Aedes genus mosquitoes
130 km
Distance to nearest Chikungunya case
They Said
"The risk of local transmission of these pathogens by the tiger mosquito can therefore still be considered low."
"Only the Usutu virus, which is transmitted by the native mosquito species and mainly infects birds, has been detected."