Répertoire du personnel
Nathalie Smitz
Invertébrés
MEMO+
Exotic mosquitoes are on the rise in Belgium. Together with their partners, scientists from ITM are monitoring locations in Belgium where exotic species enter our country. As of 2022, they also call on you to spot tiger mosquitoes. The monitoring of exotic mosquitoes in Belgium is continuously gaining social relevance. The research shows that we should look beyond their known import locations. Based on these insights, the MEMO+ project rests on two pillars: - Active detection of exotic mosquitoes at the known import locations; -Calling on citizens to spot and report mosquitoes. From May to October, ITM tries to catch mosquitoes in car parks along motorways to detect the possible import of tiger mosquitoes. These are eventually DNA-barcoded for species identification by the Barcoding Facility of Organisms and Tissues of Policy Concern (RMCA-RBINS). At the same time, Sciensano is running the Mosquito Surveillance citizen platform, a platform that allows citizens to upload their own pictures of (possibly) tiger mosquitoes. This passive component allows researchers to discover the tiger mosquito throughout Belgium. Through a combination of passive and active monitoring, the team aims to quickly find the tiger mosquito and have it controlled. Are you wondering if you’ve spotted a tiger mosquito? Take a picture and upload it on the platform. The MEMO+ project started in September 2021 with funding from: the Flemish, Walloon and Brussels governments, the FPS Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment within the framework of the National Environment and Health Action Plan (NEHAP). ITM carries out the project in cooperation with Sciensano and the Barcoding Facility of Organisms and Tissues of Policy Concern (BopCo)