Swiss perspectives in 10 languages

Asian tiger mosquitoes descend on Zurich 

man looks at mosquito through looking glass
The tiger mosquito has a flight range of less than 200 metres. Experts blame the worldwide transport of used tyres for its spread. Keystone

Asian tiger mosquitoes, which can carry harmful diseases like the Zika virus, have reached the Swiss city of Zurich. Insects, larvae and eggs were found in the Wollishofen area.  

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. 

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

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

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

In Switzerland, tiger mosquitoes have already 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…

Read more: Ticino sounds the alarm over mosquito menace


Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

Gestational diabetes increases the risk of adult-onset diabetes

More

Gestational diabetes found to increase risk of adult-onset diabetes

This content was published on A research team from the Lake Geneva region has identified persistent dysfunctions in glucose regulation in women with gestational diabetes. In the long term, this can increase the risk of adult-onset diabetes by up to ten times.

Read more: Gestational diabetes found to increase risk of adult-onset diabetes
The Graubünden village of Brienz has to be evacuated by midday on Sunday

More

Swiss village must be evacuated by midday on Sunday

This content was published on The village of Brienz-Brinzauls in eastern Switzerland, which is threatened by a rockfall, must be evacuated by 1pm on Sunday. All residents must leave the village.

Read more: Swiss village must be evacuated by midday on Sunday
Former judge in Chur found guilty of rape

More

Former Swiss judge found guilty of rape

This content was published on A former judge of the Graubünden Administrative Court in eastern Switzerland has been found guilty of rape, sexual harassment and threatening a former trainee.

Read more: Former Swiss judge found guilty of rape

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

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.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR