With the arrival of warmer weather, it's once again time to watch out for Aedes albopictus, the notorious tiger mosquito. The Vigilance Moustiques website has updated its map showing the presence of these dangerous mosquitoes, department by department. All those in the Île-de-France region are heavily affected by this tiny insect, which can be a vector for several diseases.
The news is not good, as the tiger mosquito is making inroads across France. In 2024, three new departments (Seine-Maritime, Oise and Moselle) have been placed on red alert, meaning that the tiger mosquito is established and active there. In all, 74 French departments (compared with 68 last year) are now under red alert, while 9 new departments have been placed under orange vigilance.
And concern is still growing, as seven départements are moving to purple vigilance in 2024. In the territories concerned by this maximum threshold, one or more cases of diseases such as dengue, chikungunya or Zika were recorded last year. These are Pyrénées-Orientales, Hérault, Gard, Bouches-du-Rhône, Drôme and Alpes-Maritimes. One Île-de-France département has also been placed under purple vigilance this year. This is Val-de-Marne. TheAnses has also set up a website(https://signalement-moustique.anses.fr/) for reporting tiger mosquitoes, in order to update the map as quickly as possible.
According to a commission of inquiry at the French National Assembly, tiger mosquitoes will"represent a major health risk throughout the territory" during"the coming decades".
On July 28, 2020, the rapporteur of this commission of inquiry and LREM deputy for Mayotte, Ramlati Ali, had confided:"This is an invasive species, which did not exist in France before 2004. By 2019, 58 of the 96 departments in mainland France had been colonized".
"If, for fifty years, metropolitan France was free from mosquito-borne diseases, this is no longer the case. We will have to learn to live with them, by limiting their impact on the health of French people as much as possible", she added in the report.
To combat the tiger mosquito, the commission of inquiry unveiled 46 proposals. The aim was to"refound a prevention policy","review the institutional framework" in order to curb the proliferation of these tiger mosquitoes, and"perpetuate" research resources.
According to the French Ministry of Health website, the tiger mosquito can transmit diseases linked to viruses (dengue, chikungunya, zika) through its bites. " When it bites a person infected with the zika, dengue or chikungunya virus, it can transmit this infection," statesARS Île-de-France.
If you're worried about being bitten by a tiger mosquito, first make sure you know how to identify it. Vigilance-Moustiques explains that the tiger mosquito is " smaller than a 1-cent coin (it measures only a few millimetres, usually 5 mm), has a slow flight and is easy to swat in flight ". Its physical appearance is also distinctive, " since it is black with white stripes on its legs and abdomen ". The City of Paris points out that this insect is more active during the day,"with a peak of aggressiveness at dawn and dusk".
Action is being taken to rid the region of this harmful insect and combat the proliferation of mosquito larvae. To prevent the spread of tiger mosquitoes, the French Ministry's website reminds us of the importance of paying attention to " breeding grounds " such as flower pots, watering cans, old tires, blocked gutters... A word of advice: avoid all stagnant water, and remember to empty all these little " water reservoirs " or renew them at least once a week. For ornamental ponds, consider introducing fish, which will eat the larvae.
For its part, the City of Paris recommends repairing leaks to avoid puddles and water stagnation, as well as sorting, disposing of, turning over or sheltering all containers where water can stagnate (various types of waste, toys, tarpaulins, pots, buckets, garden garbage cans, tubs, tires, watering cans, wheelbarrows, etc.), and avoiding the use of flower pots with reserves. Don't forget to change the water in flowers or cuttings regularly (once or twice a week), or to replace water in vases with damp sand, or to cover water reserves with mosquito netting or a simple cloth to prevent mosquitoes from gaining access (water cans, cisterns, basins). And don't forget to empty parasol stand tanks and columns regularly and completely, as they fill up with rain or watering.
To avoid mosquito bites, when out and about, wear loose-fitting, light-colored clothing covering the whole body, including legs and arms, as many species of mosquito are attracted by dark colors. At home, you can opt for the famous mosquito nets (bed nets, cradle nets), preferably impregnated with insecticides, as well as narrow-mesh nets on doors, windows and other mosquito entry points. Make sure your home is well ventilated to keep insects away. A fan or air conditioner can help keep mosquitoes away.
You can also use skin repellents, but be careful: not all repellents are created equal. To find out more about these products and their conditions of use, please consult the recommendations of the Haut Conseil de la santé publique published in Santé Publique France's Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin of June 1, 2021, entitled " Health recommendations for travelers ", available here. Otherwise, ask your pharmacist or doctor for advice.
The best way to get rid of the tiger mosquito for good is to report its presence on the ANSES website, so that the authorities can take large-scale action.
Official website
www.anses.fr
