Island.

And health chiefs are now urging the public to seek out and destroy the insect's breeding grounds to avoid a possible epidemic of Dengue fever -- a viral disease that causes 'flu-like illness and can kill if not treated.

Yesterday, Government Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Cann confirmed that specimens of the pest have been discovered in parts of Pembroke and Warwick.

But he added that, unless the mosquitoes come into contact with a person already sick with the disease, they cannot spread it amongst the rest of the population. No cases of Dengue fever have been recorded in Bermuda this year.

"We simply don't have people infected with Dengue in Bermuda,'' Dr. Cann said. "The mosquito is simply a vehicle for transmitting the virus. A female mosquito bites somebody who is infected and gets the blood in her system. She will then go and bite another person who will then become infected.

"Bermuda would be virgin territory but if you look at other places where it's endemic there will always be people who have been exposed to it.

"But you have to have a large mosquito population before you get the likelihood of an epidemic.'' Because the mosquito lays its eggs in stagnant water the public is being told to make sure that no vessels which might collect rainwater are left lying around.

"It really means doing things like making sure you don't have old tyres that may contain water or containers that may contain water and these are really simple things that many of us have neglected to do,'' Dr. Cann said.

"It is considered to be a domestic mosquito and favours breeding places include barrels, buckets, jars and a lot more places where rain water is collects or is stored. "They can also cause problems for our tourism industry and it's an inconvenience so we want to eradicate this mosquito.'' Officials from the pest control division of the Department of Health have visited several locations in a bid to destroy breeding grounds. And they are also providing Guppi fish, which feed on mosquito eggs, free of charge to the public.

The virus transmitting mosquito -- called Aedes aegypti -- differs from the common native mosquito in a number of ways.

It is a day-biting insect that normally attacks in the early morning or at dusk. It is a different colour to its native cousin, with white stripes on its legs. It also does not make a whining sound.

PEST CONTROLLER -- Environmental health officer David Kendell holds up a picture of the disease-spreading mosquito.

Graphic file name: MOSSIE