You’ve seen him for years, he lands on his arm, in his striped suit, tries to do it discreetly and once his package is done, he quickly decamps before ending up crushed by a nimble hand. He is the tiger mosquito, the bug that “rots” our aperitifs and our quiet nights.
This year, the ARS is launching its plan to fight “Aedes Albopictus” now and gives very simple advice to avoid being invaded and above all, to avoid falling ill because these irritating little beasts are the cause of cases of dengue fever, zika or chikungunya. And the risk is real as indicated by the Regional Health Agency.
“The risk of emergence of these diseases is real in the region, as evidenced by the various episodes of indigenous cases recorded since 2010: eleven episodes of dengue fever (31 cases), two episodes of chikungunya (19 cases) and one episode of Zika (3 cases). With the Occitanie region, our region is one of the two metropolitan regions most exposed to vector-borne diseases transmitted by mosquitoes”we say on the side of the ARS.
62% of PACA municipalities affected by proliferation
In Paca, more than 62% of municipalities are colonized by Aedes albopictus and 97% of the population lives in contact with it. Thus in the Alpes-Maritimes and the Var, mosquitoes begin to be present and active from mid-April until the end of November. With the rise in temperatures, the proliferation of the number of mosquitoes present in certain territories in the heart of summer has remained significant since 2020, indicates the ARS.
Protect yourself from bites and diseases
To avoid having red marks on the body and to protect children, it is therefore advisable to: wear covering and loose clothing. You can also use a skin repellent, recommended by your pharmacist, on uncovered areas of skin when you are exposed to mosquitoes. Air conditioners or fans hinder mosquitoes in their movements.
If necessary, you can use mosquito nets on the openings (doors and windows). There are also crib mosquito nets for newborns. You can also use the electric diffusers indoors and use the insecticide coils only outdoors.