Tiger mosquito: a worrying mutant species totally resistant to insecticides detected in France, the – The Independent

This new species resistant to insecticides has been spotted in Perpignan. Specimens of insecticide-resistant tiger mosquitoes have been detected in several European countries. A spread that worries experts. Scientists from the University of Rome “La Sapienza” and the New University of Lisbon published the results of their research in the journal Parasites & Vectors. These specimens have been known to scientists for some years. They carry a specific mutation that makes them less vulnerable. This is a mutation of the 1016G allele. In Europe, the mutation of this allele had only been observed in Italy. The researchers thus tried to find out the extent of the spread of this new species and therefore carried out a genetic analysis of 2,530 tiger mosquitoes located at 69 sites in 19 European countries. To read also: Bitten by a tiger mosquito in Perpignan: the 5th case of suspected dengue fever is confirmed, it is an autochthonous contamination and it is extremely rare Detected in Perpignan And the results indicate that these mutant mosquitoes are widespread in across the continent. They were detected in nine of the countries studied: Italy, France, Spain, Malta, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey and Georgia. More specifically in France, the new species of tiger mosquito has been detected in Perpignan, on the Mediterranean rim (Montpellier, Nice), in Saint-Martin-d’Hères (near Grenoble) and Strasbourg. The tiger mosquito, scientifically named Aedes albopictus, originated in Southeast Asia and has spread around the world in less than 40 years. This insect transmits diseases such as zika, dengue and chikungunya. In the Pyrénées-Orientales, it was detected for the first time in 2012 on the motorway service area of ​​the Catalan village and then spread to several dozen municipalities. Its presence has already caused cases of dengue fever.