Asian tiger mosquito native to Tyrol: will there be dengue outbreaks soon?

In Tyrol there are first signs that the tiger mosquito is not introduced every year, but has already established itself. With the help of so-called ovitraps, a device in which mosquito females lay their eggs, the scientists were able to prove that the Asian tiger mosquito is not only imported anew every year, but is already overwintering in Austria.

Egg laying along the highways was most frequently detected. This is no coincidence: “Non-native mosquito species are mainly brought in by goods transfer, but they can also be easily taken by car. That is why motorways are the most important entry points for potentially invasive mosquito species,” explained Hans-Peter Führer from the Institute for Parasitology at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna Austrian press agency.

The expert believes that monitoring is urgently needed to be able to track whether the tiger mosquito is spreading further in the country. “If so, you have to take control measures, otherwise dengue or chikungunya outbreaks can occur as in France and Italy.”

Here we explain how dangerous dengue fever is and how you can protect yourself.

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