Tiger mosquito in Valencia | Eight of the ten municipalities of Valencia

He tiger mosquito This is one of recurring problems in summer Valencian Community with the arrival of warmth. According to the Ministry of Health, the plague of this insect This affected eight of Valencia’s ten municipalities. In total, this species is present in 464 of the 542 localities of the Valencian Community. They are about 85% of the total. By province, Valencia had 244 casualties; 133 in Alicante; and 87 years in Castellon. The plague does not differentiate between larger and smaller municipal areas, beaches and mountains, but rather present evenly from north to south of the Valencian Autonomy.

Faced with widespread problem, Health warns it is necessary to “eliminate all sources of reproduction” considering it “the most effective measure” to “avoid possible diseases transmitted by tiger mosquitoes through bites” such as dengue, chikunguya or Zika. This has been happening for several days as part of an information campaign. “Invasion of the Tiger Mosquito”distributed through social networks and media.

Citizen participation

The goal is to achieve fight tiger mosquito plague through citizen cooperation. “This is everyone’s business,” says Public Health Director General Ruth Uso. But why does the person in charge influence social activity? The answer is simple: 70% of tiger mosquito distribution in urban settings this occurs on private property.

Between the most effective tipsthe main one keep containers where water may accumulate dry, even in small quantities. And, therefore, the recommendation is to remove the plates from the pots once a week, and also Check gutters and gutters periodicallyempty inflatable pools or keep clean and disinfect decorative fountains or chlorine pools. In addition, if the container cannot be emptied, it is recommended to cover it with a mosquito net.

From a public health perspective it is also recommended protect yourself from tiger mosquito during the hours when he is most active, first and last of the day. Another warning is to avoid using perfume – it may attract insects, but yes. Use appropriate and approved repellents. If you cannot avoid being pierced by these insects, doctors recommend applying a little iodine or corticosteroid cream to the affected area, which will help reduce the reaction.

Municipal measures

In addition to the campaign, Consell has lhelpline for municipalities in the fight against this plague, with a total budget 350,000 euros. Given the “seriousness of the situation,” these grants may be requested to control other pests such as mosquitoes or ticks. In this sense, there are several local authorities that have proposed measures to stop its expansion. In Valencia, for example, sterilized males of the species (those that do not bite) are released into the wild to mate with wild females and produce nonviable eggs. This is the measure already successfully tested in other places La Ribera, where the population has declined by 75% this year due to the release of eight million sterilized insects that were exported to Torrent, Paterna or Saguntum.