France enlists ‘dengue detectives’ to stop outbreak on the Paris Olympics | EUROtoday

Worse but is the chance of one other species of mosquito, the Temples of the Egyptiansmanaging to determine itself in Europe resulting from world journey. While largely present in tropical areas, it has been current in Cyprus since 2022, and brings with it the prospect of yellow fever, an “epidemic-prone” illness, within the phrases of the World Health Organization.

But Marie-Claire Paty, head of the vector-borne illness monitoring unit at Public Health France, says that the nation’s expertise with tropical abroad territories similar to Guadeloupe and Martinique, the place massive outbreaks of dengue are widespread, in addition to responding to COVID-19 imply it’s higher ready than most. It is compulsory to report any case of dengue to well being authorities in Metropolitan France.

“Yes, the risk is larger than ever,” explains Paty. “But we have been battling against vector-borne diseases for decades.”

As effectively because the traps, which include larvicide within the water to stop mosquitoes from being born, Paris is engaged on an awareness-raising marketing campaign to encourage the general public to eliminate stagnant water in locations like gardens and parks, the place mosquito eggs can hatch.

Health authorities have additionally been contacting inns, faculties and different venues in Paris within the hope of maximising the probability of early detection, and have arrange an internet site the place residents can report sightings of tiger mosquitos throughout the nation.

More typically, using repellents, mosquito nets, and natural pesticides are really useful to thrust back mosquitoes. Across the broader trade, researchers are additionally exploring DNA modification and sterilisation to counter mosquitos.

Meanwhile, revolutionary options, similar to mosquito traps that mimic human physique odours to draw and kill mosquitoes, shall be deployed to guard the Marseille Marina, a venue for crusing competitions through the Olympics.

But regardless of these multi-pronged efforts, Gossner warns that halting the unfold of mosquitoes on the Olympics and past stays a substantial activity as Europe enters unknown territory battling a tiny however extremely adaptable foe.

“It will be very difficult to prevent and completely prepare for,” she says. “This is still a relatively new challenge for continental Europe. We have a lot to learn.”

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