From January 1, 1123 cases of dengi, 728 chikungunya and four cases of Zika have already been reported in France. Only in May, the French Ministry of Health reported about 225 cases of Chikiengunya, 152 cases of dengi and one case of Zika.
These numbers are concerned about the healthcare authorities, which They appeal to the residents for caution.
A person infected with Denga or Chikiengunya cannot pass the virus to another person, but he can infect other mosquitoes that can continue to spread the disease. Zika virus can be transmitted by a person infected during sexual intercourse.
The South-Eastern region of Owernia-Rodan-Alpa-which was the second most affected region of France in 2024 and already in May recorded 68 cases of Chikiewicz and Dengi-he issued recommendations to help fight mosquitoes that spread to over a quarter of municipalities in the region.
The authorities appeal to residents to empty or cover containers in which water may accumulate, which can serve as a mosquito reproduction site, and take precautions against mosquito bites, especially when traveling. They also ask mayors and other local officials to take action to control the spread of insects.
This problem does not only apply to France. The Belgian Institute of Public Health warned that in 2023 tiger mosquitoes were detected in twice as many places than in the previous year. This month, the Flemish Department of Public Health began a new campaign aimed at limiting the spread of these insects.
Tiger mosquitoes are increasingly spreading in Europe, because climate change make environmental conditions more favorable to their development. This increases the risk that diseases transmitted by insects that once occurred only in the tropics will become endemic throughout the continent.
