The passage of a traveler affected by a tropical virus led the ARS to launch a massive eradication of tiger mosquitoes where he had passed: in this case, in the Gers, Miélan and Mirande.
Since 2016, the tiger mosquito has been progressing in the Gers: 130 colonized municipalities, i.e. 69% of the Gers population, were concerned in 2021. A scourge for public health, because the insect can transmit serious infectious diseases such as dengue, Zika or chikungunya. And a carrier of one of these viruses passed through the Mirande and Miélan sector, where there are many tiger mosquitoes.
Haro on the mosquito
The ARS launched a night operation, from Tuesday September 13 to Wednesday September 14 in Mirande and from Wednesday September 14 to Thursday September 15 in Miélan, each time between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., when the insect is at rest. “It is about spraying insecticide on the areas identified beforehand, explains the director of the ARS of Gers, Didier Pier Florentin.
Information has been disseminated for the population, in consultation with the town halls and the gendarmerie, both so that people become aware of the problem, but also so that the appearance of men in coveralls in the middle of the night does not cause panic. !”
Outside of these areas no treatment is carried out. Mosquito control only takes an hour, each time on limited surfaces. The process is well controlled, and it is very efficient. “It’s a proven method, used in the Caribbean for years. It overcomes adult or larval insects.
Neutralize Vector
These operations break any probability of a chain of local transmission of these diseases. “Even if there have been no cases of these diseases in the Gers, this kind of prophylaxis destroys any risk”, assures the Gers director of the ARS. In the specific case of the infected traveler who passed through Miélan and Mirande, a mosquito control treatment targeted at the tiger mosquito was carried out within a radius of action of 150 meters around the areas frequented by this person.
Protect yourself from tiger mosquitoes
The tiger mosquito lays eggs and develops in stagnant water – small objects and water containers – within a very short range: less than 150 m. The only way to act on its density is therefore the definitive elimination, or failing that, regular monitoring (twice a week), of all breeding sites around the house. Eliminate places where water can stagnate (small rubbish, bulky items, green waste, etc.), change the water for plants and flowers, check that rainwater runs off correctly, cover water tanks. It is also necessary to eliminate the resting places of adult mosquitoes: clear brush and trim tall grass and hedges, prune trees, pick up fallen fruit and plant debris, reduce sources of humidity (limit watering), maintain your garden.