A new species of mosquito in Finland, Culex Modetus, known to spread the West Nile virus, has been found in the Pori area, according to the University of Helsinki.
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Researchers are confident that the occurrence of the disease in Finland is extremely unlikely.
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“Culex Modetus, which is the 44th mosquito species found in Finland, is the northernmost observation point for this species in Europe. The nearest, but more southerly observation points for the same species have previously been made in the Leningrad region in Russia and the Skåne region in Sweden”, – the message says.
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The discovery was made by Lorna Calverwell, a researcher at the Department of Virology at the University of Helsinki.
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“Only one representative of this species was found, but I consider it unlikely that it was the only representative of its kind in Finland,” she is quoted in a university statement.
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In southern Europe, the Culex Modetus mosquito is known to transmit West Nile virus between birds and humans, and between birds and horses. West Nile virus usually causes a mild infection, with symptoms such as fever, headache, and muscle aches. In rare cases, the virus can cause neurological symptoms, the report says.
