More than 60 departments in France are currently on red alert for tiger mosquitoes. Other departments will soon turn red, due to the current good weather.
The Vigilance Moustiques mosquito monitoring site has placed 64 departments of metropolitan France on red alert, i.e. 67% of the territory.
Tiger mosquitoes: red alert for 64 departments
The red alert means the insect is present and active. Orange means that the mosquito is not yet spreading too fast, but the situation could change in the coming weeks.
In total, six departments are on orange alert. The monitoring website says, “We can see that departments that are on orange alert sooner or later go to red alert. »
There are also 26 departments on yellow alert. Which means that the situation is still good, but monitored.
Stéphane Robert, president of Vigilance Moustiques, told Europe 1: “The hot weather immediately leads to the multiplication and proliferation of insects. »
Very rapid growth caused by the current heat
“We normally say that a tiger mosquito takes ten days to transform from larva to adult if it is 23°C during the day and 15°C at night. But when it’s 30 degrees during the day, it only takes six or seven days! It goes much faster. »
The tiger mosquito season usually starts in May and can last until November.
At the beginning of May, the Ministry of Health warned that tiger mosquitoes were becoming more and more frequent in France. He recalled that they could carry serious diseases such as chikungunya, dengue fever and zika.
#Communiqué 🗞 | Chikungunya, dengue fever, zika 👉 the tiger mosquito under surveillance during its period of activity in mainland France from May to November ⤵
– Ministry of Solidarity and Health 🇫🇷 🇪🇺 (@Sante_Gouv) May 3, 2022
People are warned to “stay alert” and avoid being bitten as much as possible. Especially in red areas (for example by wearing longer clothes, and using mosquito repellent). Mosquitoes are recognizable by their black bodies with white markings.
Tiger mosquitoes carry different viruses
If you are bitten and later develop joint or muscle pain, headache, rash, eye irritation or fever, you are advised to seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Tiger mosquitoes arrived in France in the Alpes-Maritimes in 2004. To finally spread over most of the territory.
Residents are advised to empty containers with standing water. Such as gutters, toys and plant pots. Or even, fill them with sand to allow watering but no standing water. In fact, standing water encourages insects to lay eggs and congregate.
