Tiger mosquito expected to become permanent in the Netherlands within 5 years

The tiger mosquito is expected to become a permanent presence in the Netherlands within two to five years, making full eradication impossible. This assessment comes from the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) and the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), according to Minister of Health Jan Anthonie Bruijn in a parliamentary letter.

The tiger mosquito is capable of spreading tropical diseases like dengue and chikungunya, meaning its permanent presence could pose a public health risk, Bruijn said. The minister has sought advice on how best to monitor and control the species.

Last summer, the NVWA, which monitors the species’ spread, detected and treated numerous tiger mosquitoes in residential neighborhoods. Control teams had to focus on areas where the mosquitoes were most likely to become established.

The tiger mosquito has been appearing in the Netherlands since 2005, initially arriving through imports of used tires and Lucky Bamboo plant cuttings. In recent years, it has more often spread via cars and trucks from European countries with large mosquito populations, including Italy, Spain, and France.

Because the tiger mosquito bites during the day, conventional protections like window screens or bed nets, which are effective against nighttime mosquitoes, offer little defense.

The NVWA says fully eradicating the tiger mosquito, globally or in the Netherlands, is increasingly unrealistic. The current strategy aims to delay its establishment for as long as possible, while emphasizing monitoring and quick intervention.