DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

Unlike others, the Aedes vittatus mosquito is capable of carrying nearly all of the most dangerous mosquito-borne diseases, except for malaria. It is found in Cuba and now local scientists have detected it in the DR.

A report in BBC explains that the Aedes vittatus is endemic to the Indian subcontinent and had never been seen in the western hemisphere until now. The mosquito is a proven vector of chikungunya, Zika, dengue, yellow fever viruses and many other diseases, say scientists.

There is speculation the first specimens could have traveled here as eggs on a shipping container or possibly aircraft. The BBC report explains that the species’ likely proliferation across the Caribbean and the southern US will be equally manmade: climate change is shortening North American winters, allowing mosquitoes to breed many more times in a single season and thus spread...