As the hot weather sets in, the mosquito infestation in Istanbul's coastal areas has resurfaced, with several citizens recently voicing their complaints about insufficient pesticide spraying by local authorities.
The experts, however, downplayed health concerns advising citizens to be cautious and take preventive measures, especially when going out in the evenings.
In Yeşilkent, a neighborhood located near a creek in the Avcılar district on the European side of Türkiye’s most populated city, residents point out itchy bites on their skin, noting that mosquitoes swarms have multiplied in the streets surrounding the stream, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported Tuesday.
Residents complained that mosquito infestation is widespread among children and expressed dissatisfaction with the effectiveness of the insecticide spraying.
Lale Yıldız, one of the locals, said there is an excessive number of mosquitoes adding they cannot get a good night’s sleep due to the ubiquitous buzzers.
“They take the children to the hospital due to fever. The wounds are mostly caused by scratching. We used insecticides, and it helped a little,” Yıldız said, showing her child’s mosquito bites.
Necdet Faik noted that the number of mosquitoes has increased compared to previous years, and the municipality’s spraying vehicles visit their neighborhood once a week.
“Our children have wounds all over their bodies. We have installed mosquito nets everywhere in our house but still can’t cope. They keep coming, no matter how many we kill,” Faik noted.
I.Y., one of the children who suffered from mosquito bites, showed the wounds on his body and said, “There are so many mosquitoes. We can’t sleep at night, and we can’t go outside.”
Associate professor Necla Birgül Iyison, a molecular biology and genetics expert from Boğaziçi University, said early measures can prevent mosquitoes' proliferation, noting that they generally carry diseases and that Asian tiger mosquitoes are particularly dangerous.
Noting that the mosquitoes lay their eggs in the puddles, Iyison said, “The puddles must be removed so that the mosquitoes do not breed. Municipalities need to do more spraying.”
In addition, she said that the spraying should be done more frequently before the summer period as it can prevent the development of flies.
Iyison also advised people to avoid areas with stagnant water and suggested using anti-itch creams, lotions and commercially available mosquito-repellent sprays.
Professor Dr. Zekayi Kutlubay, a faculty member at Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, reported an increase in patients seeking medical help due to mosquito bites, stating that this year complaints started earlier than in previous years.
Kutlubay described various symptoms of mosquito bites, including redness, swelling, pain and secondary infections. Pointing to the preventive measures, he noted that individuals with O blood type, overweight and diabetic patients are more exposed to mosquito bites.
Emphasizing that the struggle should begin before the mosquitoes appear, Kutlubay said: “Water puddles, lakes and the banks of streams should be sprayed while the mosquitoes are in the larval stage. Because once they reproduce, no matter how much pesticide you apply, it cannot be managed. Sometimes, mosquitoes can develop resistance to existing drugs. It is useful to use drugs with new options from different groups.”
