It is rare in mainland France. An autochthonous case of dengue has been detected in the Alpes-Maritimes and five have been identified in the Var, announced on Wednesday, the Regional Health Agency (ARS) of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. An autochthonous case means that it is caused by the bite of a tiger mosquito infected with the virus on the territory.
The five cases detected in the Var were all “in the same sector of the town” of Fayence, “confirming the circulation of the virus in this area”, and presented symptoms “between mid-July and the end of July”, the health agency said in a statement.
A case was also detected in the Alpes-Maritimes, but these two situations in two neighboring departments “do not seem linked at this stage”, according to the agency. None of these cases showed signs of seriousness, according to the ARS.
mosquito control operations
The symptoms of dengue are high fever, muscle, joint or eye pain, fatigue and headache.
In 2021, two indigenous cases had been detected in the Var. To this are added, each year, the cases of sick people diagnosed on their return from a trip overseas or abroad. The ARS of Paca specifies, in its press release, to have set up mosquito control actions on the Mediterranean coast “in the districts of residence of the cases” and in the places which they frequented “during their period of contagiousness”.
“These interventions make it possible to eliminate potentially infected adult mosquitoes and to remove breeding sites to limit the proliferation of mosquitoes in these sectors”, further explained the ARS.
The health agency also invites individuals to do everything to avoid the proliferation of mosquitoes around their homes, to protect themselves from mosquito bites and to “consult” in the event of “suggestive symptoms”, in particular “if they appear within fifteen days of returning from a trip to the tropics”.