During the last week of May, Mosquito Alert took a new step in its internationalization with the implementation of the project in Rapa Nui (Easter Island, Chile). This initiative is possible thanks to the collaboration with the Chilean project DEMIV-OH (One Health Network: Dengue and Emerging Arboviruses of Medical Importance), a transdisciplinary network funded by the National Agency for Research and Development of Chile (ANID, Code ATE220020).

DEMIV-OH was created with the aim of establishing an early warning observatory in entomovirology, focused on the territories of Arica and Rapa Nui, integrating research, innovation, education, and citizen participation under the One Health approach. The observatory has been named arbOHvirus, reflecting its dual focus on arboviruses and the One Health (OH) conceptual framework.

Through this platform, local communities are encouraged to participate in the detection and reporting of mosquito vectors via the Mosquito Alert app, thereby strengthening surveillance systems from the grassroots level. Within this framework, collaboration with Mosquito Alert also materialized through participation in the book Citizen Science in Ibero-America: Experiences in Human, Environmental and Animal Health, which compiles 9 innovative citizen science experiences addressing challenges in human, environmental, and animal health. The book is available for download here.

Rapa Nui: A Natural Laboratory for Citizen Science

The mosquito Aedes aegypti arrived in Rapa Nui in the year 2000. Subsequently, in 2002, the first autochthonous case of dengue transmitted on the island was detected. It is estimated that it affected 80% of the population at that time, around 5,000 inhabitants. The experience in Rapa Nui demonstrates that citizen science knows no borders.

The team, led by project director Dr. Ximena Collao, included deputy director Dr. María Elizabeth Guerra, associate researcher Dr. Sergio Scott, collaborators Mag. Katherine Cuevas, and PhD candidate Francisca Marchan. They presented Mosquito Alert to local stakeholders, teachers, and public health teams as a means to strengthen real-time early detection of mosquito vectors, facilitating swift decision-making in the face of potential outbreaks.

With widespread calls for participation, various seminars, and the distribution of outreach materials, the aim was to encourage the community to photograph Aedes aegypti mosquitoes or “Nao-Nao Tore-Tore” in Rapa Nui. Some of the actions included:

  • Meetings with local authorities such as Mayor Elizabeth Arévalo Pakarati and the director of the Juan Pakomio Hospital.

  • Presentation of project progress to local authorities and the community at the Katipare reading center, along with a photo exhibition of three years of work.

  • Visits to the island’s four educational institutions, integrating the Mosquito Alert app for participatory surveillance and mapping of Aedes aegypti (Nao Nao) breeding sites, including the distribution of explorer kits (magnifying glasses, vests, hats, repellents).

  • Integration of local and scientific knowledge into culturally adapted strategies, embodied in the donation of the books “Nao nao Tore tore. La aventura de Hani en Rapa Nui” and “La aventura de NaoNao en Rapa Nui”, both included in an exploration kit for children, produced within the MAE project.

  

Left image: Visit with the Mayor of Rapa Nui, Elizabeth Arévalo Pakarati.
Center image: Educational materials shown at the school fair held at Liceo Aldea Educativa.
Right image: Explanation of the citizen science activity to government agencies (Carabineros de Chile, Chilean Navy, Chilean Investigative Police, Park Rangers) present at Liceo Aldea Educativa Rapa Nui.

Citizen photographs will help monitor mosquitoes on the island and improve artificial intelligence to reduce the workload of the entomology specialist community.

At Mosquito Alert, we value this partnership with DEMIV-OH as it reflects the power of international collaborations to adapt global methodologies to local realities. These exchanges allow for testing the scalability of the platform in diverse settings while collecting lessons that enrich the project as a whole.

One Step Closer to a Global Participatory Surveillance Network

The arrival of Mosquito Alert in Rapa Nui is not just a geographical expansion, it is a commitment to building an international vector surveillance network supported by citizens. Thanks to the momentum provided by DEMIV-OH, we continue advancing towards a more resilient, decentralized, and equitable system for preventing vector-borne diseases. In a context of climate change, globalization, and constant mobility, local surveillance must be connected to a global perspective. Projects like this show how transnational collaboration and citizen science can go hand in hand to anticipate and mitigate health risks anywhere on the planet.