3 days ago
'Perfect summer' for mosquitoes in Paris region
Mosquitoes are a common, if annoying, feature of summer in France - but this year they are particularly numerous in the Île-de-France region in northern France.
Scientists say that the relatively cool, damp July that Paris and the surrounding areas saw created a perfect breeding ground for the irritating pests, with the August heatwave adding good flying conditions.
The conditions are especially good for tiger mosquitoes - a relatively recent import, originally found in Asia, which can spread diseases including dengue fever, zika and chikungunya.
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"The only difference this year compared to previous years is the various periods of rain in July. This has caused several pockets of water to fill up in urban areas," Johan Hemminki, a researcher at the Île-de-France Regional Biodiversity Agency,
told French newspaper Le Parisien
.
Georges Jakerian, operations manager for the regional mosquito control agency
Agence régionale de démoustication
, said: "Add that July rain to the current heat, and you have the perfect combination for a resurgence of tiger mosquitoes."
Tiger mosquitoes, distinguished by their black and white striped bodies, are active during the day, unlike the more common mosquitoes, which tend to come out at night.
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Originally found in Asia, warming temperatures mean they are increasingly common in Europe and over the last decade or so, have gradually moved north through France. They are
now regularly found in almost all of the country
, apart from some areas along the Channel coast.
They are believed to be behind the rise in cases of chikungunya fever among people who have not travelled to the regions where the disease is endemic.
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'The risk is real': France sees rise in cases of chikungunya fever
