How many species of mosquitoes are there in Greece?
Is Aedes Aegypti circulating in our country (recently found in Cyprus) and what about the imported Asian Tiger Mosquito (Aedes Albopictus) and the species Culex Pipiens of the wells?
What about the West Nile Virus and why are we not particularly worried at this time in Greece about the other mosquito-borne viruses (Zika, Chikungunya, dengue fever)?
These and many other questions were posed to be answered “Here and Now” by the president of Ecodevelopment, Spiros Mourelatos, on the occasion of the directive released by the Ministry of Health on diseases transmitted by vectors (mosquitoes).
Speaking on the R/102 FM show of ERT-3 and to the journalist Aspasia Vouzi, Mr. Mourelatos clarified that:
1. The recent directive issued by the Ministry of Health (regarding mosquito-borne diseases) is not news. It is published annually and has not changed in the last five years. It is addressed mainly to the public administration and not to the citizens in order to hasten and complete – in view of the new period – the preparations of the mosquito control programs.
2. The Zika and Chikungunya viruses have not been identified in Greece. The last time that dengue fever occured was 80 years ago, so especially now (the debate) is untimely. In fact, any discussion is premature in the middle of March as any risk of mosquito-borne diseases concerns the period following spring – end of June – and as long as an infectious agent is identified…