With the arrival of summer, mosquitoes once again take center stage. And among all the species of this hateful insect with the ability to riddle our skin, the tiger mosquito has become one of the main threats.
The tiger mosquito is native to Asia, but due to international trade it has managed to land in America, Africa and Europe in a few years. In Spain, since 2004, it has managed to establish itself mainly on the Mediterranean coast, but also in the Balearic Islands, Madrid, Zaragoza and in some parts of the Basque Country.
The surname “tiger” has nothing to do with its voracity, but with its Latin name, Aedes albopictus, which means “painted white”. Indeed, this diptera stands out for its characteristic black and white stripes spread over its head, body and legs, which give it a tabby appearance.
The tiger bite is annoying and painful, leading to intense allergic reactions on the skin. However, the main danger is that it can become the vector for the transmission of viruses such as those that cause dengue, Zika, yellow fever or chikungunya.
It stands out for being a species with a maximum flight of 400 meters in life, but its bites are concentrated during the day and especially at sunset near humid and shady areas. If you are bitten by a tiger mosquito it will be because it has a nest relatively close. As the tiger mosquito usually moves at ground level, bites are common on the legs and ankles. Pecks that get worse as the days go by.
The moment of the bite is usually not noticed, but the subsequent reaction gives rise to papules on the skin, itching and, in the most severe cases, fever, muscle pain and tiredness. After two or three days, the pain worsens. Here are the steps to follow to relieve a tiger mosquito bite:
If there is general discomfort, an anti-inflammatory (ibuprofen, aspirin) can be administered and corticosteroids can even be applied for very intense local reactions. For persistent itching, an antihistamine may be used. However, if you choose any of these medications, it is always recommended to consult your doctor or pharmacist.
Other recommendations that are useful are to avoid waterlogging in the gardens, keep the ornamental fountains disinfected and clean, as well as the drains and gutters. In gardens it is recommended that there is no accumulation of water in umbrella feet, cover water cans with mosquito nets and cover any container in which water can accumulate with a lid. Likewise, it is important to frequently empty the drinking bowls of domestic animals.
The use of mosquito nets on the windows and dressing in long-sleeved clothing and long pants are other recommended measures to get out of an encounter with the mosquito.
The Ministry of Health, through the Health Alerts and Emergencies Coordination Center (CCAES), has promoted the ‘Mosquito Alert’ project as a tool to improve the control and surveillance of mosquitoes that can transmit diseases. This platform allows anyone to provide information on the presence and activity of mosquitoes through a mobile application, available for both Android and iOS devices.
With the motto ‘If it bites you, notify!’, the objective of the project is to study the spread of the tiger mosquito beyond its known limit of distribution in Spain; generate the first map of bites in Spain to identify where and when there is a greater interaction between humans and mosquitoes; expand knowledge about the distribution of the Japanese mosquito in the Cantabrian coast; and detect the possible arrival of the yellow fever mosquito. Both from the app and from the website mosquitoalert.com you can access the map of bites.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
