Overview
- Local reports note increased sightings across La Plata, the Buenos Aires metropolitan area and parts of the capital as summer heat intensifies.
- The barigüí is a small fly that breeds near flowing water such as rivers and streams and is most active around dawn and dusk.
- Unlike common mosquitoes, it cuts the skin to feed, producing immediate pain, redness, swelling, intense itching and sometimes fever or marked inflammation.
- Experts say there is no evidence of serious disease transmission, though scratching can lead to secondary infections.
- Recommended measures include long, light-colored clothing, window and door screens, avoiding waterways at peak times, cautious use of repellents with limited effectiveness, and post-bite care with washing, cold compresses and antihistamines.