MAP: 'Deadly' tiger mosquitoes have now colonised 70% of France
The Asian tiger mosquito - which can transmit a range of potentially fatal diseases - is now present in 70 of France's 96 mainland départements, health 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 2004.
Initially only present in the south of the country, sightings have been moving steadily north as global temperatures continue to rise and were first reported in Paris in 2014.
The latest map from French public health body Santé publique France shows that it is present in the whole of the south and centre of the country, including the Paris region - although they are most common in the south and in urban areas.
Map: Sante Publique France
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 mosquitoes in France.
READ ALSO: 5 plants that (allegedly) repel mosquitoes
Experts have previously said they think that France will be fully colonised by 2030.
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 mosquitoes, tiger mosquitoes 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 mosquitoes breed.
Researchers are currently looking into other methods of control such as sterilising female mosquitoes.
Although dengue fever, zika and chikungunya can prove fatal, they are rarely so with good medical treatment.
In a tiny piece of good news, bites from the tiger mosquito tent to be less itchy than those from a European mosquito.
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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 2004.
Initially only present in the south of the country, sightings have been moving steadily north as global temperatures continue to rise and were first reported in Paris in 2014.
The latest map from French public health body Santé publique France shows that it is present in the whole of the south and centre of the country, including the Paris region - although they are most common in the south and in urban areas.
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 mosquitoes in France.
READ ALSO: 5 plants that (allegedly) repel mosquitoes
Experts have previously said they think that France will be fully colonised by 2030.
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 mosquitoes, tiger mosquitoes 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 mosquitoes breed.
Researchers are currently looking into other methods of control such as sterilising female mosquitoes.
Although dengue fever, zika and chikungunya can prove fatal, they are rarely so with good medical treatment.
In a tiny piece of good news, bites from the tiger mosquito tent to be less itchy than those from a European mosquito.
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