Clouds of mosquitoes in Buenos Aires look like a plague of Egypt.
The Argentine province has been invaded by insects for several weeks.
The specimens that have taken over the streets, beaches and metro stations are Aedes albifasciatus.
They are nicknamed “flood mosquitoes”: their proliferation is explained by the heavy rains which affect the region.
Their eggs would have accumulated during the drought period.
With the arrival of the rains, they all hatched at the same time.
This species of mosquito is extremely harmful and aggressive.
It does not transmit dengue fever, but it can transmit Western equine encephalitis, a rare viral disease which mainly affects equines.
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To protect themselves from bites, residents are flocking to mosquito repellent products.
Consequence: their price has skyrocketed, in a context of high inflation.
The situation forced the authorities to distribute repellents free of charge.
The invasion is expected to last around twenty days.
This is the second time that this phenomenon has occurred since the start of the year.