The Regional health Agency took stock of the evolution of the tiger mosquito situation in Aveyron and Occitanie. Every year, the insect transmits more and more tropical diseases.
The Regional Health Agency (ARS) activates its reinforced surveillance plan for the tiger mosquito from Wednesday May 1 until September 30, the preferred period of the insect which takes the opportunity to colonize more and more territories each year . If the Mediterranean rim and the metropolises are particularly concerned by the proliferation of the tiger mosquito, no department of Occitanie is today spared.
In an updated map, the Regional Health Agency presents the municipalities in which the insect is now permanently established. Aveyron has had several since 2023 (in orange on the map): Nant, Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, Villefranche-de-Panat, Entraygues-sur-Truyère, La Salvetat-Peyralès, Rieupeyroux, Belcastel, Bournazel, Bozouls, Sébazac -Competition and The Monastery.
Between 2020 and 2022 (in yellow on the map), a large number of municipalities began to live with the perpetual presence of the tiger mosquito. Among others, Rodez, Salles-la-Source, Conques-en-Rouergue, Pont-de-Salars, Sévérac-d’Aveyron and Saint-Affrique.
The oldest establishments of the tiger mosquito in Aveyron date back to the period 2016-2019 (in blue on the map). This started in the sectors of Millau, Villefranche-de-Rouergue, Aubin and Decazeville.
Already four times more cases of dengue in 2024
The tiger mosquito is capable of transmitting tropical diseases such as dengue, Zika or chikungunya. In 2023, the ARS recorded 211 imported cases of dengue (mainly from Martinique and Guadeloupe), compared to 56 cases in 2022. Figures which will continue to get worse since four times more imported cases of dengue have already been reported. reported in Occitania since the start of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
Occitanie is subject to particular surveillance, knowing that half of the indigenous cases of dengue fever in France have been detected in our region. An outbreak of 11 cases, the largest in France, was detected in Perpignan (Pyrénées-Orientales).
Aveyron had two cases of dengue fever and one case of imported chikungunya. The Regional Health Agency intervened once in the department for a mosquito control mission (93 times in Haute-Garonne and 63 times in Hérault, for comparison).
What happens if you contract a tropical disease?
Reports are made by healthcare professionals. This is why it is essential, when you consult a doctor when symptoms appear, to specify whether you have recently traveled abroad. “The symptoms of dengue fever can be similar to a flu-like illness. If the health professional does not have travel information, the diagnosis can be distorted,” insists Dr. Adrian Kriche, doctor at the dengue cell. alert monitoring and health management of ARS Occitanie. Dengue, Zika and chikungunya are notifiable diseases in France.
Two scenarios arise when the report is made. If it is an imported case, checks are carried out with the person concerned and then a system to detect the presence of tiger mosquitoes is set up around their home. Within a radius of 150 meters, the insect can bite the person concerned and transmit the disease to other people. If its presence is proven, a mosquito control operation is carried out.
If an indigenous case is reported, the Regional Health Agency sets up an investigation system. Its agents will go door to door in the neighborhood of the person concerned, looking for other potential patients. This led to the discovery of an outbreak of 11 infected people in the Pyrénées-Orientales in 2023, as mentioned above. Two mosquito control operations are then launched, one week apart.
Actions to prevent the proliferation of mosquitoes
If you are traveling to tropical and south-tropical regions, it is strongly recommended to wear loose, covering clothing, to apply repellent products to the skin, and to sleep under a mosquito net or, failing that, to create a current. air using a fan or air conditioning. These tips apply during the trip, but also during the three weeks after returning. It is in fact possible to carry the disease without knowing it and to transmit it to those around you via the tiger mosquito.
At home, whether your municipality is in colonized territory or not, stagnant water should be avoided to avoid the proliferation of the tiger mosquito. Near this water, eggs can develop very quickly and the mosquito can reach its adult form within a week. It is advisable to put away toys, gardening tools, buckets and watering cans. Water collectors or tanks must be covered, basins must be maintained and receptacles emptied at least once a week.
