Although the threat of Zika has subsided for now, experts have discovered two more potentially dangerous species of disease-spreading mosquitos in South Florida, a news report says.
The latest invaders, the Aedeomyia squamipennis and Culex panocossa, also both carry viruses and can easily spread in populated areas, the Miami Herald's report says.
The Aedeomyia mosquito mainly feeds on birds, which spread viruses like West Nile and Eastern equine encephalitis.
If enough birds are infected, the viruses can be passed along to humans and other mammals, the paper says.
The Culex panocossa, which belongs to the same family of mosquitoes found naturally in Florida, may pose a more urgent threat: it is a confirmed vector for Venezuelan equine encephalitis, which can be lethal to children or the elderly.
That also means the mosquito likely carries the local Everglades virus, a member of the same set of diseases and commonly found in native culex mosquitoes, the report adds.
The new mosquitoes were discovered in Homestead and Florida City by University of Florida researchers.
The discovery comes as officials say that the Zika virus, which is carried by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, no longer poses an immediate threat, thanks to the cooler winter temperature, but they’ve warned South Floridians to expect its return in the spring.
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