A latest sort of mosquito species present in Florida could increase the possibilities of more people getting affected by viruses comparable to West Nile and others, scientists said. 

Traces of the pests, known by the scientific moniker Culex lactatator, have been present in Miami-Dade, Collier and Lee counties to date. That is their second appearance since 2018, and this time they’ve come to the Sunshine State to remain eternally, based on a study published within the Journal of Medical Entomology. Other than these three regions, Culex lactatator mosquito is feared to realize a robust foothold in additional counties in the long run.

The latest members of Florida’s growing list of non-invasive mosquito species have come from Central and South America, Lawrence Reeves, the study lead creator and a mosquito biologist on the UF/IFAS research center in Vero Beach, said in an announcement.

Reeves said despite researchers continuously monitoring the counties for brand spanking new non-native mosquito species, they continue to be unsure regarding how far they will harm humans.

“That’s particularly true for species from the tropical forests, where mosquitoes are diverse and understudied,” Reeves identified within the statement. “Introductions of latest mosquito species like this are concerning because a lot of our biggest mosquito-related challenges are the results of nonnative mosquitoes, and in a case like this, it’s difficult to anticipate what to anticipate after we know so little a couple of mosquito species.”

C. lactator belongs to the genus Culex, other members of that are known to transmit dangerous pathogens like West Nile and St. Louis encephalitis viruses, Live Science reported. Nevertheless, it’s not clear if the brand new species present in Florida are capable of transmit the viruses.

“It’s too early to know whether Culex lactator will exacerbate these challenges, however the implications are sometimes difficult to predict because not all mosquito species are equally able to transmitting a specific virus or other pathogens,” Reeves added within the statement.

In its statement, the UF/IFAS noted that Florida has develop into warmer because of this of climate change, thus growing more habitable for mosquitos coming from the tropics. Reeves said they found just a few specimens of the newly-arrived C. lactator carrying the blood of warbler birds, which could also be a significant reason for concern as infected birds are majorly the sources of mosquitoes picking up the harmful pathogens before transmitting them to humans.