He Tigre mosquito It is not only a problem because of its inconvenience bitesbut also represents a serious problem for public health in Spain. And is that the rapid expansion of this insect has made all alarms jump because it can transmit numerous diseases through their bites.
In fact, some European countries, such as France or Italy, already registering native cases of tropical diseases unknown so far in these latitudes but now begin to spread among the population due to the tiger mosquito and its bites.
The diseases transmitted by the tiger mosquito
According to data provided by the Ministry of Health in Spain, the Tigre mosquito is capable of spreading until 22 virus diferentesamong which some very rare, such as the rift valley fever virus, the Japanese encephalitis virus or the western Nile virus.
But the most common tropical diseases that transmits the tiger mosquito are other well -known and that can also generate serious health problems, such as:
- Dengue
- Zika
- Chikungunya
- Yellow fever
Moreover, Europe has already suffered several outbreaks triggered by Tigre mosquito bites. In fact, in countries such as Italy and France there have been native cases of Chikungunya, while Spain, France and Croatia have reported local dengue infections. So much so that only in the last year the records of dengue imported in Europe have been exceeded.
Also in France, although in 2019, Zika's first native contagions were also detected with the Tigre mosquito as a transmission vector.
Mosquito Alert: A tool to combat the Tigre mosquito
The situation has reached such an extent that, given the progress of the Tigre mosquito, the Ministry of Health has promoted an application to control the presence of this insect. The application is called Mosquito Alert And it is a citizen participation platform whose objective is to report sightings and bites of this insect to try to keep it under control.
According to Lucía García San Miguel, Del CCAES, the tool allows “monitoring the expansion of the Tigre mosquito more efficiently” and acting quickly against the presence of possible new foci. In fact, thanks to this application, in 2023 its presence was detected for the first time in 96 municipalities of Spain and more than 28,000 reports were received about their bites.
Health warns against the tiger mosquito for the diseases that he is ever transmitting seen in Spain. / Levante-EMV
Currently, the Tigre mosquito has its main reservoir on the Mediterranean coast, although experts warn that little by little it is penetrating into the Iberian Peninsula.
How to protect yourself from tiger mosquito bites?
To avoid the Tigre mosquito bites and reduce the risk of contracting any of the dangerous diseases which transmits, it is important to follow a series of recommendations released by the Ministry of Health.
The tips to minimize the presence of the tiger mosquito and try to avoid their bites as much as possible are simple and easy to carry out:
- Avoid water accumulations: puddles, pots, cubes or badly drained gutters are racks ideal for the tiger mosquito.
- Install mosquito nets and use air conditioning To keep them out of home.
- Apply repellent of insects, especially when they go outside.
- Dress clear clothes and cover the skinsince dark colors attract these mosquitoes more.
- Check health recommendations if you travel to areas at risk of dengue or other tropical diseases.
