After the alert, the advice. On August 5, in Spain, the health authorities warned the inhabitants – and the many tourists present during this summer season – about the proliferation of an insect still unknown to the general public… the black fly! If, for the moment, the animal is not a vector of a disease, as can be the case of the tiger mosquito, its bites can sometimes be very painful.
Indeed, unlike bees, wasps or other mosquitoes, the black fly – or black fly – bites its victims instead of stinging them. She is forced to feed on blood in order to ensure the development of her eggs. Therefore, only females are responsible for these bites. Born in the tropics of the American continent, the black fly has now settled in many regions of the world. In all, 1,000 different species of this fly exist worldwide. In France, the insect appeared several years ago.
In France, the insect is only observed during the summer season and to a lesser extent than in Spain due to the heat which is greater in the Iberian Peninsula. The development of the fly is, in fact, all the more rapid when it is hot. Thus, very touristic regions – such as Andalusia, Aragon or Catalonia, for example – are affected by the proliferation of the black fly.
According to the medical and veterinary entomologist Gérard Duvallet, interviewed by our colleagues from Paris, this black fly does not carry any disease. “Whatever happens, the vector species of pathologies, such as onchocerciasis or river blindness, which can cause blindness, is only observed in West Africa,” he explains.
To date, no deaths that can be traced to the bite of a black fly have been recorded. In some cases, bites can cause fever, headache or nausea. Symptoms can last up to several weeks and in some cases require hospitalization. If in doubt, do not hesitate to contact your doctor or 15.