The thermometer has risen sharply in recent days. France is facing a wave of heat which may well continue. And with that heatstroke, fly… the tiger mosquito. Installed for many years in the Indian Ocean, in Reunion, we hear it more and more in mainland France for a few years. Finally, it is not its noise that worries (because it does not do too much), but what it can transmit, recalls the Ministry of Health.
“From May to November”, this insect can prove to be a vector “of chikungunya, dengue or zika”. It is, in 2022, present in all the departments of Ile-de-France, in particular.
Mosquito Vigilance cards irritate the UFC Que Choisir
Less than 0.5 cm in size, black wings, a very contrasting white and black striped body, more diurnal than nocturnal, theAedes albopictus (that’s his nickname) is in the place. And this is nothing new. The association Vigilance moustiques is broadcasting these days a new map of “red vigilance”, covering a large part of France. If the “danger” is real, the UFC Que Choisir, the consumer defense association, nevertheless regularly points to the “unnecessarily alarmist” side of these Mosquito Vigilance alerts, believing that it is more a question of ” sell mosquito repellents.
The Ile-de-France Regional Health Agency (ARS) specifies that “no case of virus transmission by this mosquito has been observed in the Île-de-France region”. It is in Mayotte, Reunion, Guyana, Guadeloupe and Martinique that cases of disease have been declared.
How to protect yourself from the tiger mosquito?
But prevention is essential, insists the Ministry of Health: “It is a question of both slowing down its progression in the departments where it is not yet present and of limiting this risk of importation and circulation of viruses. “.
While a heat wave affecting France these days should facilitate its proliferation, it’s time for advice, often common sense. It is advisable (in addition to wearing covering clothes) in case of joint pain, muscle pain, headache, rash with or without fever, conjunctivitis, to consult a doctor. But also, as a basic rule, avoid leaving stagnant water near your home which allows Aedes albopictus to reproduce.
The ARS of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur advises to cover, using a mosquito net, water reserves such as cans or swimming pools for children, and to put away everything that can be hit by rain, including buckets. It is also important to change the water for plants and flowers at least once a week and not to leave waste in the open air.