- This invasive species, which arrived a decade ago in the Basque Country, has increased considerably in the vicinity of cities, especially in the urban centres of Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, where water can be found. They have explained where they found it, the risks to which it is exposed, and what can be done to prevent its spread.
Through the program launched in 2013 by the Department of Health of the Basque Government in collaboration with the Instituto Vasco de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario NEIKER and the municipalities, the presence of a tiger mosquito has been detected in 56 municipalities of the CAV. In Álava, Valdegovia and Llodio; in Bizkaia, Abanto-Zierbena, Arrigorriaga, Balmaseda, Barakaldo, Basauri, Bermeo, Bilbao, Derio, Erandio, Etxebarri, Galdakao, Gernika-Lumo, Getxo, Igorre,
Now, to prevent the species from spreading, sampling is being conducted in 93 areas of 51 municipalities: the sample analysis allows the presence and distribution of tiger mosquitoes to be monitored. In Navarre, the Public Health Institute has been implementing a mosquito tiger surveillance plan since 2016, which last year was sampled in 67 areas.
Citizens can also indicate where the tiger mosquito has been seen through the Mosquito Alert app. It is a small black mosquito (about 5 millimeters long) with a white line on the head and chest.
"In Euskal Herria we don't have Dengue, Zika and Chikungunya, so tigers mosquitoes here don't have the virus inside, but every year there's some imported case."
Effect of stings
The tiger mosquito usually bites during the day, as the bites can be painful and the reactions can be very strong. It is recommended to wash with soap and water and apply cold, avoiding scratching, as there may be risk of infection. Aitor Cevidanes, a member of Neiker, explained to ARGIA in detail: “One of the main characteristics of the tiger mosquito is that it is very human to feed itself, we receive many bites that, besides producing bites and reactions, are contaminants of diseases, especially dengue, Zika and chikungunya. In the Basque Country, however, we do not have those viruses and, therefore, tigers mosquitoes here do not have the virus inside, but every year there is usually some important case that has gone abroad and that has taken the disease. If you still have the virus in your blood back, there's a risk that the mosquito will paint and infect another person, and then we'd have to talk about indigenous cases, not just imported ones. In France and Italy, for example, over 100 indigenous cases, all of them infected with dengue, have been reported in the last three years. Most cases of Denge are also without symptoms, so it’s hard to detect.”
"Because they need a very small volume of water, we will find them around the plates of pots, the garden irrigation drums and irrigation, next to the water barrel of the garden..."
How do you stop the tiger mosquito?
As Cevidanes explains, this species is not able to fly long distances, with a maximum of 200-500 meters, so the nurseries of these mosquitoes will be close to the area we have received the mosquito bite, or what is the same, the accumulated water they need to grow. Because they need a very small volume of water, we can find ourselves around the pot plates, the garden irrigation drums and irrigation cans, next to the water bar of the orchard… “70-80% of the sites where tigers mosquitoes grow are private areas, our gardens, balconies, etc., and so, in prevention, we citizens have a lot of individual work, we have to remove those artificial containers with water.” The Basque Government has called for packaging and other containers that accumulate water to be kept under control, vaccinated or disposed of, so that tigers mosquitoes cannot lay eggs in the soil.