NTU Contribute to Science Study on Mosquito

Professor Kun-Hsien Tsai and alumna Kai-Ti Yu from National Taiwan University(NTU)’s Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences joined an international research team led by Princeton University to redefine the evolutionary history of the underground mosquito Culex pipiens form molestus and its role in spreading West Nile virus. The large-scale genetic study, published in Science on October 23, 2025, provides new insights into how mosquitoes adapted to human environments.

The findings reveal that the so-called “underground mosquito,” known for infesting subways during World War II, did not evolve recently with urbanization. Instead, genetic evidence suggests that mosquito populations adapted to human habitats as early as 1,000 to 10,000 years ago, likely in ancient Egypt or the Mediterranean. The NTU team further discovered distinct genetic differences between northern and southern Taiwan populations, suggesting multiple introductions or gene exchanges among mosquito groups.

The study highlights the importance of cross-disciplinary approaches to public health and urban planning. It calls for enhanced monitoring of mosquito gene flow across urban and rural regions, integration of mosquito ecology into disease prevention and climate adaptation policies, and greater community awareness of vector control. The research provides a scientific foundation for forward-looking strategies to prevent viral spillover and improve urban health resilience.

This research was published in Science: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ady4515