After interviewing 4,000 people in the Lyon metropolitan area about the tiger mosquito, researchers from the ANR SERIOUS project revealed the results of their survey in mid-September. The results revealed a widespread discomfort among residents but a lack of knowledge about the health risks and the strategies to adopt to eliminate it.
They are the black beast of the summer, very discreet tiny insects that bite day and night and ruin your moments of relaxation outside… Since their arrival in France in 2004, tiger mosquitoes have proliferated visibly, including in the metropolis of Lyon. It is precisely in this territory that several researchers from the National Research Agency, the universities of Lyon 1 and Lyon 2 and the Microbial Ecology laboratory have launched an investigation into the tiger mosquito.
Ineffective protection strategies
Of the 4,000 people who responded to the survey between October 2023 and February 2024, 86% said they were bothered by the tiger mosquito and 83% said they were taking action against the tiger mosquito. They described personal protection strategies such as wearing covering clothing, closing windows or using repellent sprays and creams.
However, to control and reduce tiger mosquito populations, it is not individual actions that are required but rather “a collective mobilization”the report insists. In concrete terms, if a person empties containers of stagnant water regularly but his neighbor does not, tiger mosquitoes will continue to spread, because they live within a radius of 200 meters around their place of birth. But few people know this and only 43% of those surveyed indicate that they discuss with their neighbors solutions to implement collectively.
Also read: Tiger mosquito in the Rhône: 261 new communes colonized
Still little knowledge about health risks
The other conclusion of the investigation is that “strong need for information” residents of Greater Lyon. In fact, only 39% feel sufficiently informed about good practices and health risks.
As a result, only 2 out of 10 people know that the tiger mosquito can transmit the dengue, chikungunya and Zika viruses. And half of those surveyed are unaware that this insect has been a vector of diseases within the metropolis itself, with two cases of local transmission of dengue recorded in 2019.
Faced with this observation, the authors of the survey therefore call for better information for the general public because “The more informed they are, the more they will implement good practices”They also suggest setting up a network of neighborhood ambassadors.
Also read: Lyon: a case of dengue fever detected in the 3rd arrondissement, a mosquito control operation carried out
The second part of the ongoing study
The SERIOUS project does not stop at this survey. A second phase of work will be launched with the deployment of new mosquito traps. The researchers are looking for volunteer residents to evaluate their effectiveness. If you are interested, you can write to [email protected].
