[LUM#2] Should we be afraid of the tiger mosquito?
Chikungunya and dengue epidemics in France, really? While global warming does indeed bring with it health risks, in France such a threat is unlikely.
He may have been your most loyal companion this summer, with his familiar whirr and appetite for hugs. Its little name makes you shudder: tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus for those in the know. Having arrived in the South of France around ten years ago, it has now extended its playground to the capital. Is global warming to blame? " Certainly not solely," replies Jean-François Guégan of the Infectious Diseases and Vectors: Ecology, Genetics, Evolution and Control laboratory .
" The arrival of the tiger mosquito in France has nothing to do with the climate ", says the researcher. The cause is " the densification of maritime and air transport worldwide, which has enabled it to arrive in Europe ". And in particular the trade in used tires, a prime vehicle forAedes albopictus larvae. " Without the intervention of the transport industry, the tiger mosquito could not have made the leap from Lyon to Paris in a year ", stresses the specialist. However, he does not totally exonerate climate change: " that the insect can settle in regions made more suitable by rising temperatures is undeniable ", adds Jean-François Guégan.
No disaster scenario in sight
Problem: adult tiger mosquitoes can carry certain viruses in their luggage, notably those responsible for dengue fe ver and chikungunya. Are the few recent cases of these diseases in the South of France cause for alarm? " The presence of the tiger mosquito is not synonymous with the onset of a dengue or chikungunya epidemic. For that to happen, the cycle of these viruses would have to settle here," reassures Jean-François Guégan. This requires favorable conditions for the development of the mosquito, the virus and its transmission to humans.
While global warming is a contributing factor, it is not the only one. " Prevention policies, the economic situation of the countries concerned, changes in natural habitats, and the vulnerability and exposure of individuals and populations are all factors that come into play," explains Jean-François Guégan. The tiger mosquito will probably continue to add a little spice to your summer evenings, but cases of dengue and chikungunya should remain isolated or be quickly contained. Whew, that was hot.
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Shellfish and crustaceans
Much more discreet than cases of dengue fever and chikungunya, an increase in cases of gastroenteritis and infections has been noted in recent summers in Vendée, Charente-Maritime and Gironde. The culprit: Vibrio vulnificus. " A bacterium that proliferates thanks to rising coastal water temperatures ", explains Jean-François Guégan. It concentrates in shellfish and can thus be transmitted to humans. " A direct consequence of global warming on human health ", stresses the researcher.
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