Specimens of the species “Anopheles sacharovi” are located in the province of Les in the southern Italian Adriatic region of Apulia. According to a study by Italy's top health agency ISS, researchers say it is necessary to increase surveillance in southern Italy to prevent the risk of a resurgence of the disease.
“We are monitoring their spread.”
“The presence of the mosquito that transmits malaria is information that must be taken into account systematically. We monitor its spread,” explained Pier Luigi Lopalco, professor of health at the University of Salento. The presence of this species may be a result of climate change. “We are certainly not talking about an immediate risk of malaria returning to Italy. But this is a warning that requires intensive measures to further improve mosquito surveillance and control the spread of malaria,” the expert said, according to media sources.
High fever and diarrhea
Malaria is a disease caused by single-celled parasites of the genus Plasmodium. Symptoms appear seven, 15 or more days after being bitten by an infected insect. They vary in nature, but typically include high fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, and chills. Nowadays, malaria is transmitted mainly in tropical and subtropical regions by the bite of female Anopheles mosquitoes.
The disease is reportable in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In the first half of the 20th century, Italy struggled with malaria. Many swamps were drained to prevent the spread of malaria.
