HEALTH. The Grand Est Regional Health Agency (ARS) announced that the tiger mosquito, which continues its invasion of mainland France going north, had been detected in Langres, in the La Trincassaye district, this summer. Langrois residents are invited to be vigilant. Explanations.
The tiger mosquito does not recognize administrative boundaries. The insect, by its scientific name Aedes albopictusis a tropical species native to Southeast Asia. Harmful (its bites are painful), the tiger mosquito is best known for being a vector of diseases such as dengue fever, chikungunya, and Zika. The fight against its proliferation is therefore a real public health issue.
The species is, in fact, extremely invasive and, for several decades, has conquered new regions of the globe. In recent years, it has gradually established itself in mainland France. Identified in Côte-d’or last summer, its occurrence in Pays de Langres seemed to be only a matter of time. That’s been certain since this summer. In a press release published on November 14, the Grand-Est Regional Health Agency (ARS) confirmed the presence of the tiger mosquito in Langres: “Following the detection of its presence in Langres in August 2024, in the “As part of monitoring the network of traps and receiving a positive citizen report, the ARS now classifies the department of Haute-Marne as an area colonized by the tiger mosquito.”
The Trincassaye district infected
It is, more precisely, in the district of La Trincassaye that the insect was detected: “Due to a citizen report positive for the tiger mosquito in the town of Langres, located near an equally positive trap, the ARS Grand Est carried out a field investigation to verify its presence with the implementation of preventive actions as well as measures to eliminate larval breeding sites. This investigation, carried out on September 6, 2024, in the Rue de la Liberté district, by an operator authorized by the ARS, made it possible to confirm its presence in larval and adult form in an area of 300 meters around the report.
“Personally, I have not seen a tiger mosquito, but some neighbors have told me about it,” testifies Gérard Delaunay, historical figure of the Trincassaye district. “There were indeed samples taken from the stagnant water of a manhole. From what I was told, in fact, the result was positive.” In addition to its residential density, the suburb also houses the M2K social center and, above all, the La Trincassaye nursing home, where the public health problem appears to be more significant.
Nathalie Wanham, an associative linchpin for the residents of the establishment and herself a resident of the neighborhood, however wants to be reassuring: “We have not seen any at the nursing home, and there have not been any of illness linked to this creature. There was no particular concern. Personally, I didn’t see any either, however there were a lot more midges than usual in the neighborhood.”
Awareness operations
The residents therefore remain rather calm. However, the ARS invites them to carry out some beneficial preventive measures: completely empty, inside and out, containers containing stagnant water (very popular with the tiger mosquito for laying its larvae) , make sure to seal the openings of rainwater collection containers and get rid of unused containers.
The ARS Grand Est that follow-ups will soon be given to this identification next spring: “In spring 2025, awareness-raising and control interventions will be implemented, in conjunction with the town hall of Langres, in the areas where the tiger mosquito in order to limit its proliferation. The network of nesting traps will also be redefined in order to monitor the dispersal of the species within the city.
N. C.
