The impact of invasive alien species
Title: The Asian tiger mosquito’s effect on both the environment and human health
The purpose of this research is to better understand invasive alien species, the main reason beyond their successful invasion in a non-native environment and also investigate their impact on the ecosystem. This research will have a close focus on the Asian tiger mosquito understand factors that have contributed to their spread globally and how they are affecting both the environment and human health.
Alien species are plants, animals, pathogens and others organisms that are living outside their native distributional range. The movement of these species is always the results of a human activity either deliberately or accidentally.
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The female mosquitos have a very broad host range and can attack humans, amphibians, reptiles and births (Eritja et al. 2005). It was recorded in one survey of biting rates a level of 30 to 48 bites per hour (Cancrini et al. 2003). Ae. albopictus has the potential to carry and transmit a wide range of viruses; in laboratory it is proven that is capable to transmit seven alphaviruses, (e.g. Eastern Equine encephalitis and Ross River viruses) and it has been also proven in the laboratory that Ae. Albopictusis has the ability to carry and transmit eight bunyaviruses (e.g., Lacrosse and Rift Valley fever viruses), furthermore the species has the potential to develop three flaviviruses, (i.e. Japanese encephalitis, West Nile, and yellow fever) to human (Mitchell 1995, Shroyer 1986). All these viruses are very harmful to human and other organisms, they causes several diseases to humans. For instance in 2007 there was an outbreak of chikungunya in Italy, and other cases of dengue viruses were reported in south France and Croatia. The dengue virus is known to have four strains, therefore attacking one strain doesn’t immunize against contracting the other strains, so it become so difficult to treat the diseases caused by this virus. Chikungunya virus causes fever, swelling and redness of joints, severe rheumatic pains and in some cases death; according to research in various lab it has been shown that when a person is repeatedly infected with dengue viruses, this increases the risk of more severe sickness such as DenguhocyndromSS which induces shock as a result of a sharp drop in the volume of blood which might also lead to