New mosquito species found in Grand Junction

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — A new mosquito species was discovered in Grand Junction --the Aedes aegypti.

Grand River Mosquito Control District Manager Tim Moore told Nexstar's WesternSlopeNow that only two of these mosquitoes were found in Grand Junction in 2023, and this June, three Colorado Mesa University students found several more -- 12 adults and 150 eggs. Officials are not sure if they're permanently established.

The Aedes aegypti will live its whole two-to-four-week lifespan within 50 feet of where it hatched, unlike the Culex mosquito commonly seen in Mesa County, which will travel miles over its lifetime.

Moore suspects they may have made it to Grand Junction by hitching a ride through cars from nearby areas like Moab, which have an established population.

Why is this such a big deal? These insects can transmit diseases that have not been seen in Mesa County or even the United States regularly.

Mesa County Public Health Epidemiologist Kathleen Satterfield says Dengue, Zika, Chikungunya and Yellow F...