Why did God make mosquitos?
Dr Walt Ambruster shares his interest in our unwelcome summer companions

Mosquito statistics seem about as shaky as those concerning anglophone expats on the Côte d’Azur. I’ve seen the number of native species in France given as “around fifty” in one place and as “probably near to seventy” in another; worldwide deaths from malaria are said to be “up to four million” on one web site and “something over a million” in an American medical dictionary I dipped into.

“Dangerous varieties may arrive by accident”
Whatever the size of the French mozzie community – that’s in terms of recognised varieties – there seems to be agreement that only about ten of them attack humans. Do they carry disease? The usual answer is no. The insects which are vectors of infection aren’t resident here, happily. But that needs a bit of qualification. There’s the phlebotomus mosquito or sandfly which can carry leishmaniosis and is an established resident in our region. The disease, described in these pages not long ago by my veterinary colleague Dr Gittins (see Reporter n° 111 and our web site) is lethal to dogs and can cause unpleasant symptoms in humans with weakened immune systems.And then worryingly the so-called tiger mosquito – aedes albopictus – which in some places such as the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion carries the chikungunya virus has been identified over the past couple of years in Nice (Cimiez) and Menton. The good news is that the specimens found so far weren’t carrying the virus. One cause for concern here and in other regions of Europe is that exotic and dangerous varieties of mosquito may arrive by accident, settle and breed. Rising temperatures make this more likely. Not long ago a live anopheles mosquito (which carries malaria) was identified in the Manchester area, probably having very recently disembarked at the local airport. Cases of malaria do occur in France, of course – there are an average of 7000 a year – but in patients who have been infected abroad.Last year there was one death.

“When it comes to mosquito bites there’s no justice”
But what of our local mosquitos? They don’t – phlebotomus excepted – bring disease but certainly they can cause discomfort. Or, to be precise, the female can, since it is she alone who bites. And why? Because she needs to ingest protein – in the form of blood – to nourish her eggs before laying them. As she takes blood she pumps saliva into the bite to prevent coagulation and this can carry infection and also causes the itching sensation some of us know only too well. Some of us? Yes, indeed. When it comes to mosquito bites there’s no justice. Some people’s skin seems to attract the insects, that of others doesn’t. Several theories have been advanced to account for this but there’s no certain explanation.

What you can do, of course, is make yourself less inviting. Mozzies like the smell of sweat and of perfume so if you’re dining outside in the evening (when they’re most likely to strike) take a shower beforehand and don’t freshen up with Brut or Chanel N° 5. And if you’re the sort of guy who believes (as many Brits seem to) that socks are essential at all times put on a clean pair. The enemy also loves the stink of sweat-soaked fabric. Another point: make sure there’s no stagnant water about in the garden since that will certainly attract mosquitos. High temperatures and then a storm inevitably means an invasion soon after.

What can you do to keep these aggressive insects at bay? For some people ancient remedies do seem to work. My cousin Eleanor in Florida swears by citronella, rubbed into the skin and splashed around the bed; for others quite expensive repellent creams don’t seem to do much good. If you’re regularly singled out as the mozzies’ “target for tonight” go to a pharmacy, see what’s on offer and try out a few products. Asking around, I’ve heard good reports of Moustipatch, 3 square centimetre patches which seem to do a good job in some cases. As a regular victim, I’ll say a good word for Mousticheck, a lipstick style remedy which, rubbed on a bite, quickly reduces the irritation.

“Against intelligent design”
What I’ve not yet come across here (and I’d be delighted to hear from anyone who has) is a new UK product which has been tested and gained approval at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. This is cloth, impregnated with a eucalyptus-based substance, and which can be worn in form of a scarf or a shawl and which sets up a 20-centimetre circumference repellent zone around the wearer. It can be washed up to twenty times without losing its effect. Sounds good. The manufacturers – Prodactil Textiles – have said they were talking to a French distributor but pharmacists I’ve spoken to hadn’t heard of it. There’s more information at www.arnywear.co.uk. Oh, and that question: why did God make mosquitos? Search me – they seem the best argument around against the idea of intelligent design.

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