Treatments, prevention, after-effects, tourism, trade… mosquitoes cost us billions of euros

Deux espèces ont intéressé les chercheurs pour cette étude. ILLUSTRATION UNSPLASH. – Wolfgang Hasselmann.

This Thursday, June 13, 2024, a team of scientists from the IRD presented its conclusions on the economic impact of two invasive mosquito species. The cost linked to research, regulation, and treatment of the pathologies they transmit amounts to more than 94.7 billion dollars (88 billion euros) .

Mosquitoes cost us a lot of money. According to a study presented by Frédéric Simard, research director in Montpellier, and his team of scientists this Thursday, this would represent 88 billion euros in costs reported worldwide between 1975 and nbsp;2020. For France, the bill is 549 million euros, including 33 million in mainland France, say researchers from the IRD, CNRS and MNHN. They collaborated to bring together data from 166 countries over 45 years.

And “although underestimated because they are still rarely quantified and declared in many countries, the costs linked to the losses and damages induced by these mosquitoes and the diseases that ;rsquo;they transmit have literally exploded since the beginning of the 2000s”, deplores the’IRD (the Research Institute for Development).

A huge economic impact

Researchers looked at the economic impact of two species of mosquitoes: Aedes aegypti, notably known to transmit dengue and yellow fever, and Aedes albopictus (the famous tiger mosquito), which is a vector of dengue, chikungunya and the Zika virus.

In 2023 in France, despite prevention campaigns notably carried out by the ARS (Regional Health Agencies), 158 cases of dengue fever were identified for 37 outbreaks. There were 31 cases of Chikungunya for 3 outbreaks and 3 cases of Zika for a single outbreak.

Arriving at the end of the 20th century in France via international trade, starting in the South, these two species attracted the attention of researchers for their invasive nature. Especially since “every day, people introduce viruses. If a tiger mosquito bites them, they can transmit viruses autochthonously”, explains Frédéric Simard.

The diseases they carry cause symptoms of varying severity, and sometimes long-term after-effects. Diagnosis, treatments, care, sick leave, reduced employee productivity, disability benefits, communication, tourism, reduced business traffic, etc. Combined, these costs represent billions worldwide, and increase each year.

In the space of twenty years, the economic impact of these two species has increased fourteenfold. This means that today, in France, these two small mosquitoes cost much more than other invasive species. For the moment, it is difficult to estimate the exact amount of the bill on a smaller scale, but the researchers draw two conclusions.

First, these costs will increase, as will the mosquito population. In the long term, and in particular because of their after-effects, Chinkungunya and Zika could represent 296 billion euros on a global scale. And secondly, for the south of France in particular, a warmer climate can lead to additional costs. Because mosquitoes develop more easily there (up to a certain temperature limit) and because the growth of larvae is favored by mild temperatures.

Focus on prevention

The remedy for these expenses can be found, according to researchers, in prevention. Slow the spread of mosquitoes, better prevent the diseases they transmit, protect populations… would significantly reduce the score. And for good reason, it costs ten times less to prevent than to cure.

By sharing this gargantuan assessment, the researchers hope to provoke a reaction. Mosquitoes do much more than draw our blood, because clearly: they love money. In this case, “the expected benefits of implementing effective and sustainable prevention strategies are colossal.” Finally, concludes Frédéric Simard “everyone will have their role to play in limiting this invasion”.