Study
A review of the invasive mosquitoes in Europe: ecology, public health risks, and control options
Medlock, Jolyon M.; Hansford, Kayleigh M.; Schaffner, Francis; Versteirt, Veerle; Hendrickx, Guy; Zeller, Herve
Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, 2012
Reviews the introduction, spread and surveillance of invasive mosquito species in Europe, including the pathways by which they arrive, the conditions under which introduced populations have persisted, and the surveillance systems monitoring them.
- Studied in
- Aedes albopictus, Aedes aegypti, Culicidae
- Sample size
- review of European invasive mosquito introductions and surveillance
Introductions have occurred repeatedly via international trade — notably the used tyre and ornamental plant trades — and shipping and road transport. Some introductions failed, some produced localised temporary populations, and some led to permanent establishment and subsequent spread, with outcome depending on climate and on the speed of detection and response.
What it means
The authors' reading, and ours. Where they differ, that difference is the point.
How the authors put it
Invasive mosquito introduction is recurrent, and whether an introduction becomes an establishment depends on both environmental suitability and surveillance response.
How NatureHQ reads it
The record that provides the base rates a single detection has to be read against. Introductions happen repeatedly; most do not establish; some do. That is exactly the shape of the invasive-species attrition this site set out in an earlier sprint, applied to a specific and well-monitored case — and it is why a detection is genuinely news without being the same news as an establishment.
- Published in 2012; the European situation has developed substantially since, particularly for Aedes albopictus.
- A review of surveillance systems that differ greatly in intensity between countries, so absence of records is not always absence of mosquitoes.
What this study is used for on NatureHQ
One study can inform several subjects. Here is everywhere this one is cited.
Invasive mosquitoes and range shift
Finding a mosquito is not a breeding population. Breeding is not establishment. Establishment is not local disease transmission. Each step is a separate question needing its own evidence.
Aedes aegypti
On 3 September 2026 UK authorities confirmed Aedes aegypti breeding in Britain for the first time, in east London. As of that date it was not established, and the assessed public-health risk was very low.
Published by: Learned society journalsPublished in a learned society journal.
Checked against Crossref on 2026-09-28, and they agree on the title, the authors and the year.
NatureHQ summarises research in its own words and does not reproduce published text. Reviewed 2026-09-04.