Public Health France published its latest report this Thursday, October 5, reporting a somewhat worrying health situation in terms of this infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes. At the same time, the World Health Organization issues a warning notice.
The dengue epidemic which is raging in Martinique and Guadeloupe has seen the number of cases explode for two months and the measures do not make it possible to stem this infectious disease which is spreading.
A 9-year-old child died as well as two adults in two weeks in Martinique, which brings the death toll to six, the number of victims since the start of the epidemic.
Dengue fever, often a mild illness
Dengue fever is a generally mild illness. The symptoms are similar to those of the flu with high fever, joint pain, severe headache.
Contamination occurs through the bite of a tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) previously infected with the virus from a person during their illness.
Very high incidence rate
The report published by Public Health France reports clinically suggestive cases are reported in 17 communes of Martinique. The municipalities reporting the highest incidence rates are the municipalities of Anses-d’Arlets commune of the deceased child, Carbet, Diamant and Saint-Pierre. As a reminder, the current epidemic concerns the entire island.
Some 13 serious cases of dengue have been recorded, including three pediatric cases. Since the start of the epidemic, 6 deaths among serious cases of dengue have been reported, including five directly attributable to dengue and one indirectly attributable to the infection just in Martinique.
The symbolic threshold of 1,000 cases per week was crossed last week on the island.
As for Guadeloupe, the epidemiological situation is comparable, and among the 18 serious cases of dengue fever recorded, 5 deaths are directly attributable to dengue fever.
Indigenous cases of dengue fever in mainland France
In Occitania: 11 cases were identified in Perpignan in the Pyrénées-Orientales.
6 cases were identified in Gagnières and Rochefort-du-Gard in Gard.
In Paca: 4 cases of dengue fever have been identified in Gardanne in Bouches-du-Rhône.
1 indigenous case of dengue whose place of contamination may be in Nice in the Alpes-Maritimes or in the Var.
7 cases were identified in Boulbon in Bouches-du-Rhône.
In Auvergne Rhône-Alpes: 2 cases being confirmed in Bourg-les-Valence in Drôme.
A major threat to the world
“Dengue will become a major threat in the southern United States, southern Europe and new areas of Africa during this decade.” Jeremy Farrar, the chief scientist at WHO, the World Health Organization has sounded the alarm as higher temperatures create conditions conducive to the spread of mosquitoes carrying the disease.
This disease is already the cause of 20,000 deaths per year. Incidence rates have already increased eightfold worldwide since 2000, largely due to climate change, increased population movements and urbanization.
“We need to talk about dengue in a much more proactive way,” added Jeremy Farrar, who joined the WHO last May. Before adding: “We really need to prepare countries to face the additional pressure that will be exerted in the future in many large cities.”
He said the infectious disease will likely “take off” and become endemic in parts of the United States, Europe and Africa as global warming makes new areas hospitable to the mosquitoes that spread it.
He warns: “Clinical care is really intensive and requires a high ratio of nurses to patients.”