The mayor of Montauban asks a mosquito control after cases of dengue, the prefect refuses dryly

After three cases of dengue in three months in her commune, the mayor of Montauban (Tarn-et-Garonne) asked the authorities to carry out a complete demoustication of the city. The prefect refused, explaining that "the repetition of treatments would induce a phenomenon of resistance" mosquitoes. With as a bonus a reminder barely veiled order of the elected.

The mosquito is a sensitive subject in Montauban (Tarn-et-Garonne). Since the discovery of three cases of dengue in three months, Brigitte Barèges, mayor The Republicans of the town, wanted a demobilization operation to be conducted throughout the city, reports 20 minutes . She sent an open letter to the director of the Regional Health Agency (ARS) and the prefect, but the latter refused her request.

She had already made this request on July 24 after the declaration of a first case of dengue. "The problem is that my fears have unfortunately been proven since later, two other cases have been diagnosed," she regrets. The mayor believes that the removal of an area of ​​150 meters around the impacted site is not enough.

The prefect accuses the mayor of creating "an unnatural anxiety"

The Prefect Pierre Besnard responded in a statement relayed by 20 Minutes where he ensures from the outset that the "cases of dengue are not related to each other" . Then he justifies the partial demoustication. "A treatment against adult insects [...] would have a temporary effect. Larvae and eggs not affected by these treatments would generate new generations of mosquitoes [...]. The treatments would be to renew. However, the repetition of treatments would induce a phenomenon of resistance. It is therefore important to reserve the use of these treatments exclusively for the prevention of outbreaks, " explains the prefect.

Finally, he clearly blames the mayor of Montauban: "In terms of public health, the creation of an artificial anxiety does not seem a good method and, moreover, the request of the mayor to proceed with a general mosquito control might have the opposite effect to that

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