Mosquito Alert ITALIA 2020−2022: citizen engagement, achievements and criticisms

Mosquito Alert ITALIA 2020−2022: citizen engagement, achievements and criticisms B. Caputo1, C. Virgillito1, E. Longo1, C.M. De Marco1, M. Micocci1, S. Venturini1, P. Serini1, M.V. Zucchelli1,2, V. Lencioni1,2, F. Paoli1,2, A. Michelutti3, F. Montarsi3, F. Severini4, J. Palmer5, F. Bartumeus6 and A. Della Torre1 1SAPIENZA University of Rome, P. Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy, 2MUSE, Museo delle Scienze, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza 3, 38122 Trento, Italy, 3Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell’Università 10, 35020 Legnaro, Italy, 4Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Via Regina Elena 299, 00185 Rome, Italy, 5Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Plaça de la Mercè 12, 08002 Barcelona, Spain, 6CEAB-CSIC, Carrer Accés Cala Sant Francesc 14, 17300 Blanes, Spain; alessandra.dellatorre@uniroma1.it The Mosquito Alert citizen science system has been in operation since 2014. Initially focused in Spain it undertook a major expansion in the rest of Europe beginning in October 2020, with the main goals to: 1. monitor the spread of Aedes invasive species and Culex sp. (transmitting global arboviroses) through georeferenced, expert-validated photos of adult mosquitoes; 2. assess mosquito biting activity through records of biting; 3. provide support for advanced mosquito surveillance; 4. increase the awareness of citizens about public health problems related to mosquitoes. We present the results obtained by implementation of Mosquito Alert in Italy from its release to end of 2022. Methods. Promotion activities were carried out at national level by press releases, newspaper and TV/Radio interviews, and at local level by University lectures, dedicated seminars, participations to public events. Data on citizen engagement and records were analysed. Results. A total of 18,323 citizens downloaded the App and turned on the sampling effort in Italy (approx.. 40% of overall users in Europe) and approx. 30% of these sent at least one record. Among the 8201 mosquito photos received, 5168 were identified by experts: 36.8% as Culex spp., 58.1% as Aedes albopictus, 0.5% as either Ae. koreicus and/or Ae. japonicus, and 4.5% as other autochthonous mosquito species. Most common species were reported from all Italian regions, while Ae. koreicus and/or Ae. japonicus were reported from northern regions only. Temporal trend of relative frequencies of the two most abundant species reflects their known seasonality; 11 Ae. albopictus males were reported in winter months in 6 Italian municipalities. Aedes albopictus represented 90% and 52% of the total mosquitoes photographed outdoors (n=1,087) and indoors (n=1,842), respectively. Conclusions. Results show higher citizen engagement with Mosquito Alert in Italy then in other countries and results on the distribution and biology of the target species. The suggestion of an endophagic activity in Ae. albopictus may imply a higher contact with humans than that estimated by data obtained by conventional outdoor collection methods.