His arrival was predictable. But the eggs discovered in several places in the city confirmed its presence.
The tiger mosquito is in the process of colonizing the city of Limoges and might, during the summer, invite itself onto the terraces.
Where was it discovered?
Laying traps, deployed in the city for several years, by operators on behalf of the Regional Health Agency (ARS), revealed their presence in 2022.
Thus 68 eggs were discovered in the gardens of the Bishopric, 22 eggs around the Chénieux polyclinic and 25 eggs, not far from the hotels in Uzurat, in the northern zone. Rue de Montlhéry, and in the residential district of Jules-Ferry, reports from citizens* have been confirmed by the authorities. The photos sent by these inhabitants did indeed represent tiger mosquitoes. For the moment, the traps placed in Bellegarde (the mosquito is often imported by planes) have revealed nothing.
Classification in colonized area
According to Matthieu Parneix, elected representative of Limoges in charge of health policy and sustainable development, the ARS will certainly classify Limoges as a “colonized zone” this year.
It will carry out, jointly with the city, awareness-raising actions and will decide, on a case-by-case basis, on the anti-vector fights to be carried out.
The results
As in Brive, where certain districts became uninhabitable last summer, the terraces of Limoges, those of individuals and professionals, might see new undesirable guests sit down…
“We can’t eradicate tiger mosquitoes anyway. Once installed, it’s over,” summarizes Matthieu Parneix. “In April May, we are in the period of emergence of the larvae. And it is present from May to November. Its lifespan is 30 days”.
The tiger mosquito bites mostly during the day. It is urban and very small (5 mm). Its bite is more painful than a normal mosquito and the local reaction is greater.
Not very travelers
Tiger mosquitoes cannot be completely eradicated, but their spread can be limited. They travel very little. Clearly, they evolve within a perimeter of 150 to 200 meters.
The tiger mosquito that bites you is necessarily born in your neighborhood at a water point. Hence the importance of avoiding these water points when possible.
What to do ?
The female lays eggs near stagnant water, in man-made roosts. The eggs are very resistant to water, drought, heat. They can survive an entire winter without difficulty. The larval period lasts from 5 to 8 days. To prevent the spread, it is necessary that the inhabitants eliminate the breeding places.
The advice is as follows: put away wheelbarrows, buckets and children’s toys, ashtrays and other garbage cans. Empty the cups of the flowerpots, the bowls of the animals. Clean gutters, rainwater manholes. Note that it is necessary to cover, for example with mosquito repellent, the rainwater collectors that have been developed in recent years.
The actions of the ARS and the town hall
From April 11 to 13, rue de Montlhéry and Uzurat, door-to-door will be organized. Specifically trained agents will eliminate breeding sites. “The owners still have to agree to open us up and that we can access the outside parts of their home”, announces Matthieu Parneix.
It is a vector of disease
The main diseases that the tiger mosquito transmits are dengue fever, chikungunya and zika. For dengue, cases have already been detected in Haute-Vienne, one in Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche in 2022, the other in Limoges. Note that these were imported cases. But cases therefore, which can be conveyed by the bite of the tiger mosquito.
In an opinion issued on April 5, the committee for monitoring and anticipating health risks, says that it is necessary, following covid, to prepare for an increase in the coming years in cases of dengue fever and these arboviruses transmitted by mosquitoes. . France might experience… an outbreak of dengue fever.
You can report tiger mosquitoes on
signalement-moustique.anses.fr
In Haute-Vienne
Two municipalities are considered as colonized in Haute-Vienne: Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche and Palais-sur-Vienne. It should be noted that eggs were also detected in Oradour-sur-Glane recently.