Tiger mosquito in France: 58 départements on red alert

In early May 2020, the French health authorities placed 58 of the country's départements on "red alert" in their map showing the spread of the tiger mosquito in France – seven more than in 2019. The Aedes albopictus mosquito, originally from Asia, has been present in France since 2004. It is the vector for diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika.

The tiger mosquito (see What is the "tiger mosquito" (Aedes albopictus)?) can now be found in 58 French départements, according to the list compiled each year by the General Directorate of Health. The species is continuing to progress at lightning speed, with seven new départements placed on red alert this year: Charente, Cher, Loire-Atlantique, Yvelines, Haute-Savoie, Deux-Sèvres and Vienne join the 51 départements where the mosquito was already established and active (i.e. settled and breeding) in 2019.

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