Tiger mosquitoes from Asia descend to Zurich – SWI swissinfo.ch

Asian tiger mosquitoes, carrying diseases like the Zika virus, have reached the Swiss city of Zurich. Insects, larvae and eggs have been found in the Wollishofen area.

Tiger mosquito eggs had already been discovered three years ago near Zurich station on buses coming from abroad. Specimens found in the Wollishofen district survived the winter, city authorities said on Tuesday.

Control measures have been put in place. The inhabitants of the neighborhood were invited to an information session. There is currently no reason to worry about the presence of this insect, the authorities said.

Tiger mosquitoes can potentially transmit diseases such as dengue fever or chikungunya.

The authorities of the city of Zurich are asking for the help of the inhabitants to fight against this insect. Anyone who spots a tiger mosquito is encouraged to capture or photograph it for submission to the Department of Environmental Protection and Health.

In Switzerland, tiger mosquitoes have been seen in Graubünden in the east, Ticino in the south and Basel in the north. In Europe, they have been very active in Italy since the beginning of the 90's. They have also been found in Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

The tiger mosquito, native to Southeast Asia, has a flying range of less than 200 meters and experts believe that the worldwide transport of used tires, probably from China, is at the origin of its spread.