impaginato piccolo - Società Italiana di Parassitologia (SoIPa)

Parassitologia 50: 105-107, 2008
Decennial experience of the Municipality of Rome in the fight
against Asian Tiger Mosquito
B. Cignini, R. Di Domenicantonio, M Chionne and A. Scirocchi
Municipality of Rome Department X, Environmental and Agricultural Policies
Abstract. Since September 1997 was detected the presence of the Asian Tiger Mosquito (Aedes albopictus)
in the peripheral areas of the city of Rome, the Environment Department has put in a strategy to combat
and control the spread of this insect throughout the city, collaboration with the Istituto Superiore di Sanità
(ISS) to aspects of study and monitoring of the phenomenon and with the Azienda Municipale Ambiente
(AMA) for actions in the urban environment. In 1998 began the first contrast campaign in the town territory.
The data coming from ISS are processed through a geographical territorial system (GIS) that allows realtime
locating the degree of infestation and effectiveness of interventions, allowing the display of trends over
time and the development of plans of action in urban territory. In parallel to this methodology operational,
the Municipality of Rome has put in an information campaign designed to involve citizens in the fight against
this insect. Today the situation in the city is under control, in case of emergency due to the spread of the
virus Chikungunya is possible identify in advance the areas at greatest risk of infestation. Using this methodology
work has enabled to contain operating costs and minimize the environmental impact by limiting interventions
only to areas found positive.
Keywords: Rome, Italy, Municipality, Dept of Environment, Vector control
Control methodologies
The control of this insect is immediately appeared
extremely complex because of the particular adaptability
of this mosquito, which has found in small focus a
development environment virgin and totally devoid of
competitors. In relatively large focus, such as manholes
and machicolations road, where it is found in association
with a likely competitor as the mosquito Culex pipiens
this was underdog in the competition. A territory
as the city of Rome, rich in agricultural areas devices,
ancient villas, terraces and gardens subject to continuous
irrigation, has encouraged the survival of adult,
therefore it was not possible to prevent the establishment
of this insect, that now can be considered part of
the local fauna. In the urban area of the city of Rome,
as recent studies have shown, this species is able to
maintain its trophic activity in the winter as evidenced
by the continued laying of eggs. Since 1999 the
Municipality of Rome to control the infestation now
present throughout the urban territory has prepared a
plan of action based on the study and monitoring of a
urban level, on the focusing of the interventions in the
territory in high-density areas of infestation and on
public awareness in contrast to the spread of this
insect.
The Municipality of Rome in collaboration with ISS
check the weekly 650 ovitrappole placed in the territory
of the city; these containers are dark with water on
Correspondence: Dr. Rita Didomenicantonio,
Dipartimento di Politiche ambientali e risorse agricole,
IV U.O. Tutela e gestione aree verdi e biodiversità
Comune di Roma
e-mail: r.didomenicantonio@comune.roma.it
the bottom with a rod placed inside masonite upright,
which are replaced weekly and sent to ISS for the
counting of the eggs (Fig. 1).
The monitoring carried out so allows for a framework
up to date on the presence, distribution and density in
the 19 City Districts. Since 2003 over monitoring of
the summer (April to December) has been extended to
the winter (January to March), the control of this additional
period of the year is found that the Asian Tiger
Mosquito has a trophic activity also in the winter period.
Having reached the goal of localizing the phenomenon
of the Asian Tiger Mosquito in the city territory
since 2000 have “georiferito” the ovitrappole located in
Zone and operating Sectors using a geographical territorial
system (GIS). Monitoring data coming from the
Fig. 1. Periferal Districts of Rome where foci of Aedes
albopictus were firsr recorded in 1997.