'Deadly' tiger mosquitos have now colonised half of France
The Asian tiger mosquito, which carries a range of potentially fatal diseases, has now colonised half of all the départements in France and is here to stay, experts have warned.
The black and white striped mosquito, which can deliver a painful bite as well as potentially deadly tropical diseases including dengue fever, zika and chikungunya, was first spotted in France in the last decade and made it to Paris in 2014.
Since then, half of the départements in France have confirmed they have been colonised and mosquito control campaigns are in full swing.
READ ALSO The hazardous wildlife in France you need to watch out for
Prolifération du moustique-tigre : il va falloir vivre avec >> https://t.co/1W40rvbt8G pic.twitter.com/mXBV1qluQD
— Le Parisien Infog (@LeParisienInfog) July 4, 2019
Since 2010, there have been at least 50 reported cases of dengue fever and chikungunya in people who have not been to countries where those illnesses are prevalent, thought to have been spread by tiger mosquitos in France.
And experts have now warned that they are here to stay and despite extensive control programmes it will not be possible to eradicate them entirely.
For the moment the insects are concentrated in southern France and the greater Paris region, but experts think that France will be fully colonised by 2030.
"There is no alternative, we'll have to learn to live with it," Victor Robert, who manages a mosquito vigilance website, told Le Parisien.
In even worse news, it seems that mosquito traps and repellents being tested by local authorities are not very effective.
Sleeping under a mosquito net will protect you at night, but unlike European mosquitos, tiger mosquitos come out during the day as well as at night.
The best advice that experts can offer is to make sure there is no standing water near your home, as this is where mosquitos breed.
Plant containers, blocked gutters and paddling pools all make good breeding grounds for the pesky insects.
And in a small bit of good news, although dengue fever, zika and chikungunya can prove fatal, they are rarely so with good medical treatment.
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The black and white striped mosquito, which can deliver a painful bite as well as potentially deadly tropical diseases including dengue fever, zika and chikungunya, was first spotted in France in the last decade and made it to Paris in 2014.
Since then, half of the départements in France have confirmed they have been colonised and mosquito control campaigns are in full swing.
READ ALSO The hazardous wildlife in France you need to watch out for
Prolifération du moustique-tigre : il va falloir vivre avec >> https://t.co/1W40rvbt8G pic.twitter.com/mXBV1qluQD
— Le Parisien Infog (@LeParisienInfog) July 4, 2019
Since 2010, there have been at least 50 reported cases of dengue fever and chikungunya in people who have not been to countries where those illnesses are prevalent, thought to have been spread by tiger mosquitos in France.
And experts have now warned that they are here to stay and despite extensive control programmes it will not be possible to eradicate them entirely.
For the moment the insects are concentrated in southern France and the greater Paris region, but experts think that France will be fully colonised by 2030.
"There is no alternative, we'll have to learn to live with it," Victor Robert, who manages a mosquito vigilance website, told Le Parisien.
In even worse news, it seems that mosquito traps and repellents being tested by local authorities are not very effective.
Sleeping under a mosquito net will protect you at night, but unlike European mosquitos, tiger mosquitos come out during the day as well as at night.
The best advice that experts can offer is to make sure there is no standing water near your home, as this is where mosquitos breed.
Plant containers, blocked gutters and paddling pools all make good breeding grounds for the pesky insects.
And in a small bit of good news, although dengue fever, zika and chikungunya can prove fatal, they are rarely so with good medical treatment.
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