More than 425 cases of dengue fever have been recorded in Guadeloupe since January 2023, the local Regional Health Agency (ARS) said on Wednesday, which warns of an “emergence of foci” of the virus of “expansive nature” in the archipelago.
Since June, the disease, transmitted by mosquitoes, has been present in 13 Guadeloupe municipalities but its resurgence has been observed since November 2022, said the ARS in a press release. Some cases have “caused several visits to adult and pediatric emergencies”, adds the health organization.
According to the ARS, “the steady increase in the number of reported cases has thus been observed every week since April”, with the observation of an “acceleration of the phenomenon in recent weeks” with “foci of dengue of an expansive nature”.
Epidemic risk
“Rising circulation of dengue fever in the Caribbean basin, flows of travelers around important events (various festivals) and the hurricane season are all factors that could quickly raise fears of the spread of the disease throughout the territory and an epidemic of dengue fever,” the agency explains.
In its press release, the ARS recalled its recommendations for eliminating mosquito breeding sites in gardens: “empty, overturn, throw away” containers that may contain water and mosquito larvae.
Dengue fever is widespread in hot countries and causes 100 to 400 million infections each year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Its severe forms are rare but can be fatal.