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Around 11 pm, a mosquito treatment will take place around the church of Saint-Pierre in Blagnac (Haute-Garonne). It was the Regional Health Agency of Occitania that requested this intervention after the discovery of a case of dengue. We explain the reason for this operation, how it is carried out and how much it costs.
An operation without equal takes place around 11:00 p.m. this Tuesday, September 6, in the heart of Blagnac, in a radius of 150 meters around the Saint-Pierre church, a stone’s throw from the town hall.
Agents from the company Altopictus will carry out a mosquito control as a preventive measure after the discovery of a case of dengue on September 2, a few days after another case, indigenous, found in Haute-Garonne.
This exceptional mosquito control operation was requested by the Regional Health Agency (ARS), the only decision-making body in this type of situation. “As soon as a case of disease transmitted by the insect is detected, in particular by a general practitioner, the Occitania Regional Health Agency activates the protocol”, says Jean-Sébastien Dehecq, an ARS sanitary engineer.
Because it is for health reasons that this intervention is carried out. and not to eradicate all mosquitoes as some locals imagined. They were warned before this intervention as well as certain associations of beekeepers and fishermen.
“This is not a trivial operation. It is done to counteract dengue that can become serious“Warns Camille Mayzoue, deputy mayor of Blagnac in charge of the environment. She affirms it:”Fumigating this type of product is not dangerous for humans, but it is for biodiversity“. It is for this reason that the spill area is directedin order to avoid as far as possible touching the fauna and flora of the environment, as shown in this preliminary study.
Only one insecticide is authorized in France to combat mosquitoes: deltamethrin. “This treatment does not represent any danger to humans and warm-blooded animals, specifies Jean-Sébastien Dehecq of the ARS of Occitania. However, it is toxic to aquatic fauna. Hence the consultation with the fishermen. We cannot treat next to wetlands, or less than 25 meters from a water point.”
In the case of Blagnac, the report was made on Friday, September 2, 2022. A study was immediately launched to track the evolution of the infected. It is necessary to identify the accesses to the residences, to the houses, the places that can pose a problem.
On Monday, the affected populations received an explanation in their mailbox. They are informed of the day and time of the intervention, the noise pollution generated and the precautions to take: do not hang clothes, do not bring pets in, do not leave the windows open or even rinse vegetables and outdoor furniture afterwards. operation.
In Blagnac, this operation will take place at night, when all the shops will be closed, probably after midnight. It should last between 1/4 hour and 1/2 hour.
It will be done in 2 stages. “It is above all a fumigation on foot in the place in question to intervene as close as possible”, says Jean-Sébastien Dehecq. The same pyrethroid product is also administered from a van-type vehicle with a large sprayer. It is a bit noisy but it allows you to create a large cloud of product that will then diffuse and disperse in the atmosphere. The operation is carried out at night, you must wait at least 30 minutes before entering the area.
Cost of the operation according to ARS Occitanie: €1,000 if the contamination affects a single person. You can get up to €25,000 if there are 25, as happened in the Hautes-Pyrenees. Therefore, it is free for local authorities.
The City Council communicated it on its social networks and the municipal agents intervened with the restorers to clear their terrace this afternoon and clean it the next morning.
prevents, mosquitoes are still on the prowl in some places : “They eat us everywhere!“Plague Charles, who lives on Boulevard Jean Rivet, perpendicular to the church square. So, although this operation is not aimed at eradicating these critters, Charles has taken the hard way: he has equipped himself with an anti-mosquito” .These beasts are there from morning to night, I had to equip myself“he adds.
A little further on, we find Marco. “I’m not going to sleep here tonight. We’re not too afraid of the product, but sleeping with the window closed in this heat… I’d rather go to Ariège and come back tomorrow.” Your cat will not be on the trip but will remain locked in the house.
Her neighbor Brigitte also agrees with this preventive measure. “In the street there are not many mosquitoes, but I have a house a little further away and they are all attacked. But you know, I lived a long time in the Dom-Tom and I only know what dengue is. It’s even quieter here!”
This year, the Haute-Garonne department is the one with the most mosquito control operations in Occitanie. Between 110 and 120 such operations are carried out in the region each year, a third of which are in Haute-Garonne.
They do not eradicate mosquito bites but they prevent the spread of the disease. The insect lays eggs in the water, so water points should be treated to reduce these nuisances.
If you want to avoid the ordeal of itching, do not leave containers full of water after a storm, no stagnant water. Little tricks: you can prevent larvae from turning into mosquitoes in ponds and wetlands by adding a pinch of coarse salt or a teaspoon of oil.