It is between May 1 and November 30 that the tiger mosquito is most active.
Arrived in mainland France in 2004, the
aedes albopictus
is now under close surveillance because its presence has gradually spread to a large majority of the territory.
If only "
ten departments were affected in 2010
", they were 71 on January 1, 2023, underlines the infectious disease specialist and professor Gilles Pialoux.
“
Today, we find this mosquito as far as the Bois de Vincennes
”.
Recognizable thanks to its black and white stripes, the
aedes albopictus
worries the authorities above all because of the diseases it transmits to humans: can be transmitted by its bite dengue fever, chikungunya but also the Zika virus to a lesser extent.
The Health Risk Monitoring and Anticipation Committee (Covars) also issued a press release on April 3 to warn of the risk of an outbreak of these diseases “
over the coming summers
”.
These “
could become public health problems
”.
Because, “
if we stick to normal evolution, we are certain that all departments will be affected by the tiger mosquito in the years to come
”, alerts the infectiologist.
Several factors to consider
Last summer, 65 indigenous cases of dengue - patients who have not traveled to areas where the virus is circulating but who were bitten by a mosquito that infected itself through contact with an infected traveler - been detected in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in Occitania but also in Corsica.
There were also 272 imported dengue cases.
And for the specialists, it is only a beginning which requires all the attention of the authorities.
"
Several factors have to be taken
into account
", emphasizes Professor Gilles Pialoux from the outset.
And in the first place, global warming: "
The latter facilitates the existence of the vector on the territory (
of the mosquito
, editor's note), its reproduction and even allows it to transmit diseases more easily
".
Heat indeed accelerates the development cycle of the tiger mosquito and increases the speed of multiplication of the virus within it.
But for the expert, the spread cannot be limited to the climate issue.
It is also that of "
the arborization of cities
which must interest the authorities.
Urban forests and other small plant centers effectively allow mosquitoes to settle permanently in urban environments and to reproduce
in fine
.
Finally, the authorities fear the major population displacements caused by the 2024 Olympic Games, which will take place in France.
“
There will be more and more imported cases on the one hand and more and more indigenous cases on the other, so we must take this risk seriously
”, thus decides the infectiologist.
Quick response and importance of reporting
To deal with these risks, the government insists on the importance of a rapid and effective response starting this summer.
For example, he invites the French, even in urban areas, to remove “
stagnant water inside and around habitats
”.
“
Monitoring the presence of the tiger mosquito is also based on citizen reporting
,” said the Ministry of Health and Prevention in a press release on April 27.
The latter has also set up an online map that will allow real-time monitoring of the spread of the tiger mosquito in mainland France.
The departments strongly colonized by this mosquito are concentrated in the South-East.
"
There is a strong North-South gradient
", emphasizes Professor Gilles Pialoux.
For the infectiologist, it is above all the speed of the health reaction that will be decisive: “
We know what to do in the event of rapid expansion of diseases, especially in Martinique or Reunion where there have been exemplary policies
", he underlines before adding "
and we must not think that this is only valid for extra-Hexagon
".
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