[Detection of Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae) in the city of Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia].

INTRODUCTION

Aedes albopictus is the second most important dengue virus vector in the Asian southeast after Aedes aegypti. Its entrance into the Americas occurred in 1985, and laboratory studies performed show its potential as a vector in this continent as well. In Colombia, this species has been reported in Leticia (Amazonas) in 1998 and Buenaventura (Valle del Cauca) in 2001. The latest discoveries show that this mosquito continues to advance toward the country's interior.

OBJECTIVE

To inform that the presence of A. albopictus is documented in the city of Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Since 2002, weekly sampling has been performed using larval traps located at seventeen stations. The identification of the A. albopictus species, was carried out in the Unidad de Entomología, Laboratorio de Salud Pública Departamental. These identifications were confirmed in the Entomology Laboratory at Universidad del Valle and the National Institute of Health in Bogotá.

RESULTS

From April to June of 2006, larvae of A. albopictus were found in six sampling stations located between northwest and northeast of Cali, one of them in the suburban area of the Yumbo city.

CONCLUSION

The control of A. aegypti and A. albopictus must be integrated into a single program. The surveillance in the cities and nearest departments must be intensified with the objective of limiting the advancement of A. albopictus.