Mosquito Centre
You don’t need to go far afield – dangers can also lurk close to home.
Generally speaking, whether you are at home or travelling, the vaccination protection recommended for Switzerland should be in place, and supplemented by the specific travel vaccinations required for different regions. Find out about the current situation before you travel. If you are pregnant or suffer from a severe chronic illness or immune disorder, please consult your doctor. Protect yourself against insect bites day and night – but particularly at dusk and dawn, when the insects are at their most active. Sexual transmission can be reduced significantly through condom use.
Our climate is changing – and tropical infections are coming along for the ride…
The tiger mosquito is known to have arrived in Switzerland in aeroplane cargo holds and shipping containers. It likes damp environments, for example in flower pots or car tyres, and spreads in warm areas. Zika virus and dengue fever are particularly prevalent in tropical regions. Since very few people in Switzerland are infected with these diseases, the risk of transmission is very low. There is currently only a small risk of infection after a bite. Should you experience fever or unusual symptoms in the days following the bite, please consult your doctor and undergo laboratory medical testing at medica. IgG antibodies are measured to clarify whether a vaccination has been successful or an infection has been overcome, and IgM antibodies that the body produces against the pathogen are measured to rule out an acute infection. In exceptional cases, direct detection of the pathogen must be carried out with a PCR.
Laboratory tests
- Zika virus: IgG and IgM antibodies, PCR
- Dengue fever: IgG and IgM antibodies, PCR
- Malaria: smear, thick blood film, PCR, Plasmodia typing
- Yellow fever: IgG and IgM antibodies
- Chikungunya: IgG and IgM antibodies, PCR
- West Nile virus IgG and IgM antibodies, PCR
Your contact persons
PD DrAxel Regeniter
Head Infectious Disease Serology/Immunology
Specialist in Laboratory Medicine, Multidisciplinary FAMH
Clinical Chemistry and Immunology, Protein and CSF Diagnostics
PD DrWerner Siede
Deputy Head Infectious Disease Serology/Immunology
Specialist in Laboratory Medicine
Proteins, Enzymes, Lipids and Nutritional Physiology