Methodological Diversity in Citizen Science Mosquito Surveillance: A Scoping Review

Background Aedes albopictus is a highly invasive species and an important vector of dengue and chikungunya viruses. Indigenous to Southeast Asia, Ae. albopictus has successfully invaded every inhabited continent, except Antarctica, in the past 80 years. Vector surveillance and control at points of entry (PoE) is the most critical front line of defence against the introduction of Ae. albopictus to new areas. Identifying the pathways by which Ae. albopictus are introduced is the key to implementing effective vector surveillance to rapidly detect introductions and to eliminate them. Methods A literature review was conducted to identify studies and data sources reporting the known and suspected dispersal pathways of human-mediated Ae. albopictus dispersal between 1940–2020. Studies and data sources reporting the first introduction of Ae. albopictus in a new country were selected for data extraction and analyses. Results Between 1940–2020, Ae. albopictus was reported via various dispersal pathways into 86 new countries. Two main dispersal pathways were identified: (1) at global and continental spatial scales, maritime sea transport was the main dispersal pathway for Ae. albopictus into new countries in the middle to late 20th Century, with ships carrying used tyres of particular importance during the 1980s and 1990s, and (2) at continental and national spatial scales, the passive transportation of Ae. albopictus in ground vehicles and to a lesser extent the trade of used tyres and maritime sea transport appear to be the major drivers of Ae. albopictus dispersal into new countries, especially in Europe. Finally, the dispersal pathways for the introduction and spread of Ae. albopictus in numerous countries remains unknown, especially from the 1990s onwards. Conclusions This review identified the main known and suspected dispersal pathways of human-mediated Ae. albopictus dispersal leading to the first introduction of Ae. albopictus into new countries and highlighted gaps in our understanding of Ae. albopictus dispersal pathways. Relevant advances in vector surveillance and genomic tracking techniques are presented and discussed in the context of improving vector surveillance. Graphical Abstract

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“…Examples of citizen science projects to collect data about Aedes albopictus. For a review comparing these projects see[94] …”

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confidence: 99%

A literature review of dispersal pathways of Aedes albopictus across different spatial scales: implications for vector surveillance

et al. 2022

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“…The potential of iNaturalist for detecting vector species was also verified in Europe, North America, North Africa and the Middle East [19], and the results indicated that the iNaturalist platform could complement existing vector surveillance data. Citizen science initiatives on mosquito surveillance are also emerging in tropical countries and areas where dengue and malaria are endemic [22,56,57], and ethical issues were discussed in a community-based program in Nicaragua and Mexico [58]. As ethical discussions underlining communitybased research have shown, researchers should ensure that individuals and communities have the autonomy to monitor and control the vectors in their properties and have a safe space for a dialogue focusing on mutual respect and community health [58].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The use of a citizen science approach in mosquito monitoring has been explored since 2011 [20][21][22]. It has provided opportunities to upscale geographic coverage of the traditional methods and gather real-time information related to human-mosquito encounters [23].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This novel approach to mosquito surveillance has been growing in recent years due to the concern about mosquito-borne diseases spreading and the acknowledgement that it can be financially and operationally challenging for health authorities to sustain wide reaching professional mosquito monitoring programs [23,24]. These citizen science-based programs have shown success in engaging communities to assist monitoring species of medical importance through low-cost methods [2,22,25]. A critical outcome of such programs has been the contribution of citizen scientists to the first detection of invasive species in Europe through the Mosquito Alert phone app in Spain [26].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Citizen Science Mosquito Surveillance by Ad Hoc Observation Using the iNaturalist Platform

Sousa

Fricker

Webb

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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Citizen science mosquito surveillance has been growing in recent years due to both increasing concern about mosquito-borne disease and the increasing popularity of citizen science projects globally. Health authorities are recognising the potential importance of citizen science to expanding or enhancing traditional surveillance programs. Different programs have shown success in engaging communities to monitor species of medical importance through low-cost methods. The Mozzie Monitors project was established on iNaturalist—an open citizen science platform that allows participants to upload photos (i.e., observers) and assist identification (i.e., identifiers). This article describes the likelihood of citizen scientists submitting photos of mosquitoes, assesses user submission behaviour, and evaluates public health utility from these citizen science-derived data. From October 2018 to July 2021, the Mozzie Monitors project on iNaturalist received 2118 observations of 57 different species of mosquitoes across Australia. The number of observers in the system increased over time with more than 500 observers and 180 identifiers being active in the project since its establishment. Data showed species bias with large-bodied and colourful mosquitoes being over-represented. Analyses also indicate regional differentiation of mosquito fauna per state, seasonality of activity, and ecological information about mosquitoes. The iNaturalist citizen science platform also allows connectedness, facilitated communication and collaboration between overall users and expert entomologists, of value to medical entomology and mosquito management.

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“…In the context of MBDs, numerous continuing citizen science surveillance projects (29 projects operating in 16 countries all over the world, including some with wide geographic coverage) [ 26 ] have successfully involved members of the public and provided data on mosquito populations. For future improvement, there is a need to continue engaging with stakeholders, researchers, public health agents, industry, and policymakers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mosquito alert: leveraging citizen science to create a GBIF mosquito occurrence dataset

Južnič-Zonta

Sanpera-Calbet

Eritja

et al.

Vectors of Human Disease Series

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The Mosquito Alert dataset includes occurrence records of adult mosquitoes collected worldwide in 2014-2020 through Mosquito Alert, a citizen science system for investigating and managing disease-carrying mosquitoes. Records are linked to citizen science-submitted photographs and validated by entomologists to determine the presence of five targeted European mosquito vectors:Aedes albopictus, Ae. aegypti, Ae. japonicus, Ae. koreicus, and Culex pipiens. Most records are from Spain, reflecting Spanish national and regional funding, but since autumn 2020 substantial records from other European countries are included, thanks to volunteer entomologists coordinated by the AIM-COST Action, and to technological developments to increase scalability. Among other applications, the Mosquito Alert dataset will help develop citizen science-based early warning systems for mosquito-borne disease risk. It can also be reused for modelling vector exposure risk, or to train machine-learning detection and classification routines on the linked images, to assist with data validation and establishing automated alert systems.

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Methodological Diversity in Citizen Science Mosquito Surveillance: A Scoping Review

Cited by 20 publications

References 45 publications

A literature review of dispersal pathways of Aedes albopictus across different spatial scales: implications for vector surveillance

A literature review of dispersal pathways of Aedes albopictus across different spatial scales: implications for vector surveillance

Citizen Science Mosquito Surveillance by Ad Hoc Observation Using the iNaturalist Platform

Mosquito alert: leveraging citizen science to create a GBIF mosquito occurrence dataset

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