A suspected case of arbovirus was discovered in Marmande in a person returning from Réunion. A mosquito control operation will take place at his home.
A suspected case of arbovirus, an infectious disease transmitted only by the bite of a mosquito, was detected in Marmande in a person returning from Réunion, the Prefecture of Lot-et-Garonne said on Tuesday. This is the 9th suspected or proven case of arbovirus in this southwestern department.
In their press release, the state services do not specify the nature of the infection. It could be a case of Zika, dengue or chikungunya. However, it is quite possible that this traveler suffers from the dengue because it is the only arbovirus currently in circulation on Reunion Island since the end of 2015.
Mosquito control operation
Following this report, an investigation was carried out by the interdepartmental agreement for mosquito control of the Mediterranean coast (EID Méditerranée) at the patient’s home. This revealed the presence of the mosquito Aedes albopictus, the famous tiger mosquito. A worrying discovery since it is a vector of these diseases.
Also to prevent these mosquitoes from biting the infected person and transmitting the virus to other people, the departmental tiger mosquito management unit will carry out a mosquito control operation “within a radius of 150 meters around the place where it was placed. in evidence the presence of the mosquito ”, explains the prefecture.
The Lot-et-Garonne department is starting to get used to these anti-vector actions. Since August 2012, it has been classified as level 1 of the national anti-dissemination plan for Chikungunya, dengue and zika, which means that the mosquito implantation is confirmed and active. “Also, everyone’s vigilance is essential,” recalls the prefecture, which emphasizes that by adopting certain preventive measures, it is possible to reduce by 80% the presence of the mosquito, and therefore the risk of bites.
Source: Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
Eliminate stagnant water
To fight against the proliferation of this pest, it is necessary to destroy the breeding places such as empty flower pots in gardens, cups under them, anything that may contain water and where female mosquitoes will lay their eggs. Cleaning the gutters is also highly recommended. Adding fish to the ponds is also a good solution as they eat the mosquito larvae.
Individuals who think they have seen a tiger mosquito, recognizable by its black and white stripes, are invited to report it on the website www.signalement-moustique.fr or on the IMoustique mobile application, available on the AppStore and on Google play.
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