This bites: New ankle-biting mosquito may suck ABQ’s summer fun

This summer may bite.

For years the Environmental Health Department (EHD) has relied on part-time, seasonal “mosquito technicians.” This year, after seeing a rise in the city’s least favorite residents, it is looking to hire someone full-time.

While the species was first documented in the city in 2018, the Aedes aegypti population — also known as the yellow fever mosquito — is rapidly growing in the area. The mosquitoes are considered aggressive biters, targeting ankles and elbows and are active during the daytime — unlike other mosquitoes in the city. 

“In the last several years this species has become established over much of the metro area and has become problematic in areas that generally have not had mosquito issues in the past,” said Maia Rodriguez, spokesperson for the EHD. “This species is a challenge to effectively control for and is an extreme nuisance with the potential to be a vector.”

The EHD has been approved to receive $12,527 for the new position in its Urban Biology Division. The full-time job will replace the current seasonal positions that require intensive and highly specialized training annually, according to an issue paper that requested the funding. 

The department will combine the funding it has for the seasonal positions with the new funding to hire a full-time technician, according to Rodriguez. 

However, she said the department will have a seasonal technician this summer because the department won’t receive the funding until mid-summer. The department expects to hire a full-time technician in the fall for next summer. 

Rodriguez said this technician will conduct surveillance for the department’s mosquito control program, assist with vector-borne disease investigations and participate in community outreach and education efforts. 

Native to South America and Africa, the species are a vector for yellow fever along with other mosquito-borne viruses including Zika, Chikungunya and dengue fever. Since humans are the primary host for these viruses, these mosquitoes thrive in urban areas, especially homes. 

These diseases have not been found in New Mexico, according to EHD.