The alert is the result of data from mosquitoWEB, a "citizen science" project that relies on people's participation to identify the presence of mosquitoes that transmit dengue and yellow fever in regions of the country.

The results of the project show "an increase in mosquito submissions in the districts of Faro and Lisbon, namely the invasive species Aedes albopictus (tiger mosquito)", explained IHMT NOVA, in a statement.

"The data suggests that there may, in fact, be a greater concentration of mosquitoes in these areas and are in line with the alert recently issued by the Parish Council of São Domingos de Benfica (Lisbon) about the risk of spreading the dengue virus, transmitted by the Aedes albopictus mosquito, present in these two districts", they also highlighted.

Data from this platform point to "a high presence of mosquitoes in urban areas with conditions conducive to their proliferation, such as gardens, backyards and other places with containers holding stagnant water".

Teresa Novo, entomologist at IHMT NOVA and operational manager of the mosquitoWEB platform, highlighted that "the scientific evidence obtained through mosquitoWEB reinforces the need for greater awareness among the population to reduce the risk of the spread of mosquitoes, vectors of pathogenic agents in the country".

"Community participation is essential to protect collective health," she also stressed, according to the press release.

Anyone can participate in the mosquitoWEB project, through the platform's website: simply photograph a mosquito, upload the image to the platform, provide information about the place where it was found and include contact details (mobile phone or email) for a follow-up.

Among the recommendations for the population, IHMT NOVA highlighted the elimination of stagnant water and the use of repellent.

According to WHO data, more than 7.6 million cases of dengue fever have been reported to the organization this year worldwide, including 3.4 million confirmed cases.

Although there has been a substantial increase in dengue cases globally over the past five years, this growth has been most pronounced in America, where the number of cases has already surpassed seven million by the end of April 2024, up from 4.6 million in 2023.

Many people infected with the virus that causes dengue fever may be asymptomatic, but the symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, pain around or behind the eyes, vomiting, red spots on the skin as well as bleeding.