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Mosquito Alert, a 360º citizen science observatory

Autor de la imagen: Alex Ritcher- Boix/Fototeca CENEAM

Mosquito Alert is a non-profit, cooperative citizen science project, coordinated by various public research centres. The goal is to study, monitor, and combat the spread of invasive mosquitoes that can transmit global diseases such as dengue, Zika, and West Nile fever. Mosquito Alert monitors several invasive mosquito species, including the tiger mosquito and the yellow fever mosquito.

The surveillance is conducted via the Mosquito Alert app, which enables any individual to report potential sightings of the targeted mosquitoes, as well as their breeding sites in public spaces, by submitting a photo. In addition to the photograph, the location of the observation and other relevant information are collected. A team of expert entomologists is responsible for validating the photos received and notifying the participant of the result. The result is then published on the public map, where the observations recorded since 2014 can be consulted and downloaded. Additionally, the probability models developed from citizen observations can be explored.

The data collected through the Mosquito Alert app provides valuable supplementary information for scientific research on invasive mosquito surveillance. It can also be utilized by public health managers for the monitoring and control of these mosquitoes in local communities and cities.

Case Study Description
Challenges: 

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) have issued warnings regarding the impact of climate change on vector-borne diseases, including those transmitted by ticks, mosquitoes, and sandflies. The ECDC has additionally stated that changes in climate and the environment can affect the risk associated with vector-borne diseases (Bezirtzoglou et al., 2011).

Based on the observed impact of climate on vectors and the predicted trends, it is expected that climate change could influence the frequency and global distribution of vector-borne diseases. In fact, recent years have seen a rise in autochthonous cases and epidemic outbreaks of certain vector-borne diseases in Europe (Githeko et al., 2000).

In response to these developments, the Mosquito Alert platform was launched a few years ago as a tool for monitoring and controlling mosquito species that carry arboviruses. It is a citizen science project that engages the public in the fight against these disease-transmitting mosquitoes, with the aim of influencing public, social, and educational policy.

Citizen observations are integrated into a shared database that supports research, monitoring, and control of the tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) and the yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti). The project analyses how citizen data can be used to improve predictions about the presence and expansion of these two mosquitoes.

Mosquito Alert is currently working to expand the project and offer a global tool. The app has been translated into Chinese, and the project has been replicated in Hong Kong. Furthermore, it collaborates with partners in Latin America, the United States, and the Netherlands with the goal of establishing a comprehensive European framework.

The software used in the Mosquito Alert app is provided free of charge and is open source. It is distributed under a licence that allows users to use, modify, enhance, and redistribute the software, either in its modified or original form. Participation in the project is entirely anonymous.

Objectives: 

Mosquito Alert's overarching objective is to provide real-time risk predictions for the transmission of viral diseases carried by the tiger mosquito and the yellow fever mosquito. The system is designed to analyse data obtained via mobile phones in order to anticipate the associated risk of disease transmission and thereby minimise public health risks.

In this regard, Mosquito Alert's scientific objective is to generate quantitative research and high-level modelling to:

  1. Understand population dynamics and dispersal rates of disease-transmitting mosquito invasions.
  2. Design effective strategies for the control and eradication of mosquito populations.
  3. Make risk predictions based on environmental, social, and biological parameters.

From a social perspective, Mosquito Alert is a citizen science and collaboration platform that aims to minimise the risk of disease transmission by managing these mosquito species.

The app allows users to report potential sightings of invasive mosquitoes, including the tiger mosquito and yellow fever mosquito, along with their breeding sites on public roads. Users can submit a photo along with their report, which is geotagged with other detailed information. Subsequently, a team of expert entomologists verifies the images received. The validation result is sent directly to the participant and published on an observation map, with data available since 2014.

This information is a valuable addition to the scientific work of the research centres involved in mosquito control. It also allows public health managers to use this data to monitor and control the spread of these pests in neighbourhoods and cities. Additionally, participants are provided with recommendations for controlling the presence of these species in their homes.

In summary, Mosquito Alert aims to collaborate with stakeholders to detect and control the spread of invasive species, including the tiger mosquito and yellow fever mosquito, in a manner that aligns with scientific principles, management practices, and citizen engagement. This approach addresses a global challenge by focusing on the following:

  • Enhancing public-private collaboration: Ensuring that citizen science is a valuable tool for those responsible for monitoring and controlling the tiger and yellow fever mosquitoes.
  • Conducting quality scientific research: The involvement of citizens provides a valuable additional dimension to the scientific work of many universities and experts.
  • Adopting a methodology for future use: The current system for monitoring and controlling disease-transmitting mosquitoes has been transformed by new technologies that enable the collection of data on a vast scale.
  • Increasing public awareness: The objective is to engage the public and raise awareness of this global public health issue.
Adaptation measures implemented in the case study: 
Structural/physical: Technology options
Structural/physical: Services
Institutional: National and governmental policies and programs
Social: Education options
Social: Information options
Social: Behavior options
Solutions: 

Mosquito Alert is an open science platform that engages citizens in a project with an impact on public, social, and educational policy aimed at combating disease-transmitting mosquitoes. In this regard, there has been a long-standing collaboration between the scientific community and the general public in the identification of invasive species in Europe. This is currently being undertaken on universal platforms such as Global Mosquito Alert.

This innovative approach to science presents new challenges and opportunities, particularly in the context of improving environmental and public health management of disease-transmitting mosquitoes. Traditional monitoring and control methods are facing limitations due to budget constraints, growing demand, and the need for more targeted action at an expanded scale. These challenges are further compounded by the increasing distribution and proliferation of mosquitoes driven by climate change conditions.

In any case, it is an open system that is continuously reviewed and improved. It must resolve issues and advance epidemiological models and predictions with citizen science methodologies of an increasingly broad and complex scope. This will contribute to the development of risk maps and online outbreak forecasting, both regionally and across Europe, and even globally.

The platform is subject to continuous review and improvement, with new measures and solutions implemented to enhance the application and the results obtained:

  • We will optimise the website and the mobile app.
  • We are pleased to announce the publication of an interactive public map of observations. This new resource allows users to consult and download all observations received and validated since 2014.
  • Development of a probabilistic model of the presence of tiger mosquitoes in areas of Spain, updated on a weekly basis and generating monthly estimates for a given area.
  • Data visualisation using real-time interactive graphs, which enables users to monitor participation in different areas and assess the quality of the data.
  • Quick and efficient identification of tiger mosquitoes and yellow fever mosquitoes by citizens, with at least five participants, allowing for validation and the assignment of a reliability percentage, organised by municipalities.
  • A team of expert entomologists from the collaborating institutions will then review the affected mosquito reports. This review will be conducted by three independent validators and will adhere to three levels of security (rejected, possible, or confirmed). The final result is published on the map and sent to the participant via a notification in the app, with the option of adding notes or comments of interest
Importance and relevance of the adaptation: 

It is estimated that 500 million cases of mosquito-borne diseases occur worldwide each year. These include malaria, dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. It is possible that this figure will increase due to global warming and rising temperatures, which are causing these insects to expand into new areas of the planet.

In light of these circumstances, a system and/or platform such as Mosquito Alert offers the following benefits:

  • The system promotes public participation in the identification and monitoring of mosquito vectors.
  • The creation of predictive and preventative models to combat the spread of these mosquito vectors is a key objective.
  • The deployment of information systems for the early detection and identification of potential population clusters is a crucial aspect of this strategy.
  • The reduction of epidemiological risk from diseases transmitted by mosquito vectors is another key benefit.
  • The development of studies and control measures on a large geographical and social scale.
  • The provision of data and resources to global big data processing systems.
Additional Details
Stakeholder engagement: 

The Mosquito Alert platform is coordinated by three public institutions in the field of scientific research:

  • CREAF (Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications)
  • ICREA (Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies)
  • CEAB-CSIC (Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes)

And it has the support and financing of three other institutions, both private and public:

  • "La Caixa" Foundation
  • Dipsalut (Public Health Body of the Girona Provincial Council)
  • FECYT (Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology)

Mosquito Alert is also sponsored by the company Laboratorios Lokímica SA.

However, and given the participatory and open nature of the platform, numerous monitoring and control entities, groups and associations collaborate with Mosquito Alert, highlighting:

  • Monitoring and control entities
    • Barcelona Public Health Agency (ASPB)
    • Forest Management Service of the Directorate General for the Natural Environment and Biodiversity of the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Food and the Natural Environment
    • Coordination Centre for Health Alerts and Emergencies (CCAES) of the Ministry of Health
    • Mosquito Control Service of the Bay of Roses and the Baix Ter
    • Baix Llobregat Mosquito Control Service
    • University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands (University of La Laguna), of the Government of the Canary Islands
    • Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology of the University of Murcia
    • Department of Animal Pathology of the University of Zaragoza
  • Citizen Participation Organizations
    • Crowdcrafting.org
    • Ibercivis Foundation
    • Xatrac Environmental Association
Project interest: 

The mobile app allows citizens to participate in citizen science and report the presence of these insects from anywhere in Spain. This enables public authorities to accurately identify the locations that have been colonised, allowing them to implement the necessary control measures to limit the spread of these insects.

Success and limiting factors: 

In addition to the points already made, it is important to highlight the following as fundamental successes of the Mosquito Alert project:

  • Enhanced reliability of citizen data. At present, 36% of all validated observations have been classified as "confirmed" tiger mosquitoes, with a higher number of "confirmed" observations than "possible".
  • The data is accessible to all, published via the GBIF global portal, which currently contains over 1,000,106 data points on biodiversity from around the world, of which 30,605 are related to tiger mosquitoes (Aedes albopictus). Of this data, 13% is citizen science data provided through Mosquito Alert, with approximately 4,030 observations of tiger mosquitoes in Spain, accompanied by their corresponding images and geolocation data.
  • Furthermore, the Aedes japonicus mosquito has been identified as the first of its kind in the Iberian Peninsula and Southern Europe, thanks to the contributions of citizen scientists. Its location was initially determined in Asturias by a network participant. The network was validated by Mosquito Alert entomologists in collaboration with members of the University of Zaragoza, who are responsible for the entomological surveillance project of the Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare.
  • The first confirmed sighting of the Aedes vittatus mosquito in Galicia was in September 2017, following the submission of a photo by a volunteer who initially believed it to be a tiger mosquito. In March 2018, the Mosquito Alert validation team confirmed that the specimen was indeed Aedes vittatus, a native mosquito found in several areas of Spain but not previously documented in Galicia.
  • The project has resulted in numerous scientific articles, citations, presentations, and conferences, along with knowledge transfer publications. Awards and recognition include o 1st Prize Ex Aequo in the Interactive and Non-Interactive Science Teaching Materials category of the Science in Action XIX Award, October 2018. o A distinction from the Spanish National Research Council recognizing the scientific merits of the project, June 2018. o City of Barcelona Award 2017 – Earth and Environmental Sciences, February 2018.
  • Mosquito Alert also participates in other shared platforms, including: • Global Mosquito Alert, a United Nations-sponsored initiative coordinated by the Centre for Ecological Research and Forest Applications (CREAF) and the Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC).
  • PICAT, a Comprehensive Platform for the Control of Arboviruses in Catalonia. This integration of epidemiological information allows for the creation of an intervention network with the main agents involved (primary care, specialised centres, research centres, public health agencies, and civil society) to address the issue of autochthonous cases.

The open, voluntary, and participatory nature of citizen science does present certain limitations, particularly regarding ethical, legal, economic, intellectual property, and data protection aspects. Furthermore, the technical complexity involved in managing global big data series is a significant challenge.

Budget, funding and additional benefits: 

The project is financed through contributions from public and private entities secured through open and competitive calls and research grants, including funding from La Caixa Banking Foundation, the European Research Council, the Horizon 2020 Programme, the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), and the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT).

Legal aspects: 

Mosquito Alert is built on a foundation of innovation and open science, with a commitment to protecting the identity of citizens as much as possible, currently without collecting any personal data. The objective is to integrate this model into the public administration framework for managing potential arboviruses.

At the state level, a National Plan for Preparedness and Response to Vector-Borne Diseases is in place, including those transmitted by mosquitoes of the genus Aedes, which can spread dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever. Furthermore, regional plans and protocols for the surveillance and control of mosquito-borne arboviruses are also in place.

Implementation time: 

The Mosquito Alert project was initiated in 2013 in Catalonia under the name "Catch the Tiger." Its objective was to create a map of the tiger mosquito's distribution across the Peninsula, to study and control the expansion of this insect, and to assess the potential arrival in our country of the yellow fever mosquito. The project commenced with a pilot test in the province of Girona in 2013, which was subsequently extended to the whole of Spain in 2014.

As of November 2016, Mosquito Alert's citizen observation data and map are accessible on the International Portal of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which considers Mosquito Alert a reference project.

In 2017, the shared platform Global Mosquito Alert was launched with the support of the United Nations. Its aim is to address this problem at a global level. The project is committed to uniting the efforts of the international scientific community, institutions, and citizens to combat this threat to public health more effectively. This is necessary because the threat is derived from two new scenarios: climate change and globalisation.

Reference Information
Contact: 

 

Websites: 
Sources: 
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