Tiger mosquito danger spreads

THE TIGER mosquito - which causes infectious diseases such as yellow fever, dengue fever and chikungunya - has spread to 18 departments in France.

The insect, which reportedly first arrived in France in 1999, has now been spotted in Alpes-Maritimes, Alpes de Haute-Provence, Var, Bouches-du-Rhône, Haute Corse, Corse- du-Sud, Gard, Hérault, Aude, Pyrénées-Orientales, Ardèche, Vaucluse, Drôme, Isère, Rhône, Haute-Garonne, Lot-et-Garonne and Gironde.

The tiger mosquito is one of the world's most invasive pests, and is easily recognised by its black and white striped legs, and small black and white striped body. It grows to between 2mm and 10mm.

It is a native of southeast Asia, but the boom in international travel over the past few decades has meant it has invaded many other countries.

It prefers biting humans to animals.

The National Centre of Expertise on Vectors (CNEV) has launched a website - www.signalement-moustique.fr - so people can alert them to sightings of the insect.

CNEV advises people to take a photo of the animal and post it to the site, so the spread of the mosquito can be tracked.

Expert Rémi Foussadier said: “It is an invasive species that lives in cities and villages. Its life cycle is subservient to the urban lifestyle , and it likes small bodies of water - small reservoirs can be found in gardens, or balconies.”

Earlier this month, officials asked for help tracking the spread of the asian hornet

Photo: Wikipedia