Graz starts fight against Asian tiger mosquitoes with sterile males

Graz starts fight against Asian tiger mosquitoes with sterile males

Graz, Österreich - In Austria, the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes Albopictus) spreads rapidly, which could significantly impair the well -being of the population. In 2022, the invasive species was detected in all federal states, with established populations in cities such as Graz, Linz and Vienna. The city of Graz has now started a pilot project to counteract the mosquito plague. Here, 500,000 sterilized male tiger mosquitoes in the affected areas are to be used to prevent the reproduction of the females. Project manager Eva Winter emphasizes that the sterilization of the males is carried out by X -rays without the use of nuclear radiation or gene manipulation. This is part of the so-called sterile insect technology (SIT), which has already been tested in other countries such as Florida and Italy to control the mosquito populations.

The Asian tiger mosquito is a well-known transmitter of over 20 diseases, including dengue, zika and chikungunya viruses. In tropical and subtropical regions, these viruses can lead to serious illnesses and are also a growing risk in Europe. In Switzerland, especially in the canton of Ticino, the mosquito already leads to harassment and health concerns, since there are most experiences with this kind. Especially the larvae survive in small water points where they take their eggs, for example in rain barrels or old car tires, as in a report by Brisant .

The application of the sterile insect technology (sit)

In order to combat the spread of the Asian tiger mosquito, researchers also rely on sterile insect technology in Switzerland. Based on this international experience, the Federal Office of the Environment (BAFU) in Switzerland initiated a number of experiments for the sterilization of male tiger mosquitoes. Similar to Graz, 22,000 male mosquitoes were released in Morcote, Ticino, which were sterilized with X -rays. These sterile males are supposed to compete with fertile females to minimize the number of fertilized eggs.

The first results of this strategy are promising. A maximum flight distance of 200 meters has been determined and new tests are planned for the coming years in order to further evaluate the effectiveness of these measures. Above all, the fact that the mosquitoes can hibernate and thrive in a variety of environments is a challenge. According to

The spread of the Asian tiger mosquito is favors from global warming and milder winter, which enable the mosquitoes to survive in new regions. While the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in Germany estimates the risk of diseases transmitted by mosquitoes as little, future climatic changes could change. Especially in southern Europe, such as in Italy, southern France and Greece, there are already hotspots for possible outbreaks. Studies show that tropical diseases such as Chikungunya, which can thrive in moderate regions, could also spread in Germany, which is a serious threat, as Brisant reports.

In the next few weeks, the city of Graz will look for cooperation partners in affected districts because access to private space is important for the project. The installation of mosquito traps is intended to help measure the success of the measure. If the project in Graz is successful, it could possibly be extended to other cities in order to better counter the growing threat from the Asian tiger mosquito.