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Attention: Tiger mosquitoes are spreading rapidly in Stuttgart!
Korntal-Münchingen sees first tiger mosquitoes; Pilot project to combat this begins. Health risks due to climate change are increasing.
Attention: Tiger mosquitoes are spreading rapidly in Stuttgart!
The Asian tiger mosquito is increasingly spreading in the Stuttgart region. This invasive species, known as a vector of tropical diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika viruses, was recently spotted in Korntal-Münchingen, around 140 kilometers from the city of Kehl, where the fight against the tiger mosquito has been discontinued. Instead, the city administration is focusing on sensitive areas such as kindergartens and care facilities in order to minimize possible health risks. Loud Stuttgart News The Ludwigsburg Health Department detected isolated tiger mosquitoes in Ditzingen last year.
Tropical medicine specialist Christian Schittenhelm notes that the spread of the tiger mosquito has not only been observed since last year, but was already favored by climate change years ago. The breeding season of this mosquito lasts until the end of October, which makes the possibility of further spread higher. The risk of local transmission is worrying, especially if the tiger mosquito is allowed to reproduce undisturbed.
Combat measures
The planned distribution of control tablets to the population was restricted due to a change in regulations. These tablets, which may be dispensed by experts such as pharmacists, are designed to destroy mosquito larvae. Baden-Württemberg nevertheless submitted a proposal for a low-threshold distribution of these funds at the Conference of Health Ministers. A pilot project in Korntal-Münchingen relies on the use of adhesive and odor traps as well as Bti tablets with the aim of minimizing mosquito breeding sites instead of completely destroying them.
The tiger mosquito uses small collections of water, such as in watering cans or flower pot saucers, as breeding grounds. To counteract the spread, experts recommend regularly emptying or closing outdoor water containers.
Global and national perspectives
So far there have been no infections due to tiger mosquito bites in Germany. Nevertheless, the situation in Europe has already taken on worrying dimensions. Last year, indigenous dengue cases were recorded in France (85), Spain (8) and Italy (7). Loud Deutschlandfunk More than 128 countries worldwide suffer from dengue fever, which has increased fourfold annually since 2000. In 2022, there were around 4.2 million recorded cases, while estimates put at least 100 million annual infections.
Latin America is particularly affected, with massive outbreaks recorded in Brazil and Argentina alone. Argentina has had over 50,000 confirmed cases and 37 deaths. Bangladesh also experienced the worst dengue outbreak since statistics began, with over 1,000 deaths and more than 206,000 confirmed cases in 2023.
The WHO warns that climate change is contributing to the spread of the dengue virus, as temperatures allow mosquito eggs to survive during mild winters. Despite the latent threat, Germany has so far only recorded over 1,000 imported dengue infections, mostly from Southeast Asia. The incubation period for dengue fever is four to seven days and symptoms range from high fever to skin rashes.
The situation highlights the need for preventive measures and increased awareness of the dangers posed by the tiger mosquito. It remains to be seen how local and federal initiatives to combat the mosquito population will work.