How the tiger #mosquito invaded France and what can be done to stop it
The Asian tiger mosquito may be considered a small but mighty coloniser. Despite only measuring around 3mm, this invasive species has managed to spread across most of mainland France in just 20 years. With global warming creating perfect conditions for its proliferation, this tiny pest risks spreading diseases like zika, dengue and chikungunya now more than ever.
Spotted on French soil for the first time in 2004, the black-and-white striped insect can now be found in 71 of the country’s 96 mainland departements (administrative units). Health authorities have put these regions on red alert, meaning the species is both living and breeding in those areas.
Its spread has become a serious cause for concern. The mosquito is a vector for diseases like dengue, zika and chikungunya – viruses that have been the source of life-threatening epidemics in places like Brazil or La Réunion, where hundreds of thousands of people have been infected.
Concern is catching on with French politicians. France Unbowed (La France insoumise) MP François Piquemal (whose surname ironically translates to “stings badly”) said earlier this week that the spread of the tiger mosquito in France is a “political matter”, and called on the government to take action.
“Imported by neo-liberal globalisation … and a vector of serious diseases, it is having an impact on our lives,” Piquemal wrote in a tweet.
