Worried Zurich citizens rush to report tiger mosquitoes (and other insects)
Not an Asian tiger mosquito
Keystone
Zurich authorities have been contacted by many concerned citizens since the news on Tuesday that Asian tiger mosquitoes had been found in the Wollishofen area of the city. So far all the reports have been fake alarms.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/ts
Local residents were invited to an information session and were reassured that there was currently no reason to be concerned about the presence of this insect.
Nevertheless, the city authorities are asking for residents’ help in the fight against the tiger mosquitoes, which can carry harmful diseases like the Zika virus. Anyone who spots one (see picture below) is encouraged to either capture or photograph it for submission to the Environmental and Health Protection Department.
In the past two days the number of reports of potentially dangerous insects has multiplied. At the moment there are about five times more than usual, the advice centre for pest prevention told the Keystone/SDA news agency.
However, what are thought to be tiger mosquitoes have always turned out to be other species. Several pictures of Asian bush mosquitoes have been sent in, which do look similar to tiger mosquitoes but have only three white rings on their hind legs, not five.
“We also got sent a picture of a wasp,” said Gabi Müller, head of the specialist unit. “But that doesn’t matter – we’re happy for the assistance and cooperation.”
Flight range
Tiger mosquito eggs had already been discovered three years ago near Zurich station in buses coming from abroad. The specimens found in the Wollishofen district survived the winter, the city authorities said on Tuesday.
In Switzerland, tiger mosquitoes had also been spotted in Graubünden in the east, Ticino in the south and Basel in the north. In Europe, they have had a strong presence in Italy since the early 1990s. They have also been found in Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
The tiger mosquito, which originated in Southeast Asia, has a flight range of less than 200 metres and experts believe the worldwide transport of used tyres, probably from China, is to blame for its spread.
More
More
Ticino sounds the alarm over mosquito menace
This content was published on
A working group is now trying to find ways to eradicate the Asian Tiger mosquito, which can carry diseases including rheumatic and dengue fever. “We found it in the village of Coldrério just across the border from Italy,” Peter Lüthy, head of a canton Ticino mosquito control group, told swissinfo. The small insect with a…
In Switzerland more people are being referred to electrical therapies or psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Are there similar approaches where you live?
ICRC says next few days will be ‘decisive’ for aid to Gaza
This content was published on
The next few days will be absolutely decisive if the Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to continue providing aid in the Gaza Strip, said its director-general Pierre Krähenbühl.
Switzerland unveils a national drought-detection system
This content was published on
Switzerland launched on Thursday a new national system for detecting drought and warning the population and authorities in advance.
Federal coffers to get CHF100 million boost from Swiss Post
This content was published on
Swiss Post will pay a dividend of CHF100 million ($121 million) to the Confederation this year, the company announced on Thursday.
Swiss Federal Railways satisfied with bodycams for transport police
This content was published on
Since the introduction of body-worn cameras, the frequency of assaults on Swiss Federal Railways transport police has fallen by 25%.
Zurich cantonal government to compensate victims of forced labour
This content was published on
Victims of past forced labour measures in canton Zurich could soon apply to receive a one-off solidarity compensation of CHF25,000 ($30,255).
Risk of a real-estate bubble in Switzerland grew in first quarter
This content was published on
The risk of a bubble in the Swiss property market increased slightly in the first three months of the year compared with the previous quarter, says UBS.
French authorities order Nestlé to remove its filtration system
This content was published on
Authorities in the south of France have served formal notice to Nestlé Waters, a subsidiary of the Swiss food giant, to "withdraw within two months" its microfiltration system for its Perrier mineral water.
Switzerland says pushbacks at border by Germany are unlawful
This content was published on
Switzerland considers Germany's planned systematic pushbacks at the border to be contrary to existing law, the department of justice has said.
Switzerland to hold referendum on introducing electronic ID
This content was published on
The Swiss are set to vote on the introduction of e-ID after the Federal Chancellery confirmed enough valid signatures were submitted by opponents of the federal law on electronic identity.
Swiss parliament advances individual taxation for married couples
This content was published on
The Swiss House of Representatives made progress on individual taxation for married couples, suggesting a compromise to address federal tax losses.
This content was published on
Authorities said it was too soon to say whether they were dealing with an isolated mosquito that had been carried into the canton or one from a local population. But the Federal Health Office added that there were no indications that the tiger mosquitoes found in canton Aargau were transmitters of infections such as dengue…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.