The Pays de la Loire are not immune to the invasion of tiger mosquitoes. 200 traps were placed in consultation with the regional health agency to prevent the development and proliferation of larvae.
Bucket, water container, and larvicide… These are the working instruments of Théo Pineau, entomologist or insect specialist at Inovalyslaboratory in charge of monitoring the proliferation of mosquitoes in the Pays de la Loire region.
From mid-April to mid-November, the period during which the tiger mosquito is active, each month, it detects the traps that have been set up in strategic places. “These are places with a high population density, large urban units such as Nantes, Angers, Le Mans. It can also be around markets of national interest where goods pass through, at stations and airports. , or near sensitive sites such as hospitals”says the specialist.
200 tiger mosquito traps like this one have been placed in the Pays de la Loire. • © France 3 Pays de la Loire-Cyril Dudon
These traps allow him to locate each month where the majority of tiger mosquitoes live.
They consist of a bucket of water, in which a larvicide is poured to prevent the development of larvae on the edges of the bucket and a piece of rubber that floats and traps mosquitoes and eggs through a net.
200 of these traps have been set across the region. “EBetween heat and rain, this year was conducive to the tiger mosquito. We found more reactive traps and more Loire residents alerted us to the presence of the insect”explains Theo.
13 municipalities infested
According to the Inovalys laboratory and the regional health agency, which are working in collaboration, the tiger mosquito arrived in the region in 2015. “At the time, we discovered it on a motorway rest area in Vendée”, specifies the entomologist. “Today, 11 Loire towns have been colonized. Two new municipalities should soon join the list, including Orvault.
Among these 11 municipalities are in Loire-Atlantique: Nantes, Rezé, Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire, Bouguenais and Le Pellerin. In Maine-et-Loire, Trélazé and Bellevigne-les-Châteaux are concerned. In Mayenne, Château-Gontier. Finally in Vendée, Fontenay-le-Comte and Sainte-Hermine are part of the list.
See the presence map of the tiger mosquito in France ici.
The tiger mosquito is a tiny mosquito, no bigger than a 20 euro cent coin. Its black and silver-white stripes characterize it, hence the name “tiger” mosquito. “It has a white band on the thorax, and black and white streaked hind legs”explains Theo Pineau.
A campaign to combat the proliferation of the tiger mosquito has been set up in Pays de la Loire. • © France 3 Pays de la Loire-Cyril Dudon
“A tiger mosquito can lay between 75 and 200 eggs every 4 days. And its eggs become mosquitoes in just one week.
It will lay eggs in urban areas, where there are quantities of standing water such as buckets, rainwater tanks, clogged gutters, flowerpot saucers.”
To fight against the tiger mosquito and its proliferation, it is necessary to remove or dry up all the stagnant water of everyday life.
Theo Pineau
insect specialist
The tiger mosquito is dangerous because it is a vector of the viruses responsible for dengue fever, chikungunya and Zika, the majority of tropical diseases. It becomes a carrier of the virus as soon as it bites a person already suffering from this disease.
Hence increased monitoring of hospitals and traps installed near them.“We identify the traps every 15 days at the airport and at the hospital premises, where people already affected by these diseases can pass through or be treated”concludes the specialist.
Gwénaëlle Hivert, head of the Health and Environment prevention unit at the Pays de la Loire regional health agency, explains: “We want everyone to be aware of the potential dangers of the tiger mosquito, but don’t panic. In the region, the tiger mosquito has so far not caused any cases of dengue fever, chikungunya or Zika”.
Anyone who sees a tiger mosquito near their home can take a photo and report it to ANSES, the national agency for food, environmental and occupational health safety. This report will then make it possible to trigger an investigation by the ARS to identify and better limit its proliferation around this place.
With Lison Barrocal.
2023-08-17 23:23:58
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