The health authorities are taking the situation very seriously. Since the beginning of 2022, some 26 cases of autochthonous dengue have been reported in mainland France. A higher level than in previous years according to the authorities, who insist on the need to protect against mosquito bites.
By “autochthonous” dengue we must understand cases infected by people who have not traveled to the usual area of circulation of the virus, abroad or abroad, in the 15 days prior to the onset of symptoms. They have been identified in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and Occitanie regions, the Directorate-General for Health (DGS) said.
Mild sickness
According to a Public Health France sheet dedicated to the subject, this infectious disease is transmitted from person to person through the bite of a tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) infected. The virus regularly circulates in the French departments of the West Indies, as well as in the French islands of the Pacific and the Indian Ocean.
There are two types of dengue fever. The classic form that manifests as a flu-like state in the patient within three to 14 days after the mosquito bite. In addition to high fever, it is accompanied by “chills, headaches, retro-orbital pain, nausea, vomiting, joint and muscle pain.” Its evolution is favorable after several days and its treatment is symptomatic, particularly pain and fever.
In 1 to 5% of symptomatic cases, however, there may be a severe form, also called severe dengue, characterized by increased vascular permeability that can cause hemorrhagic forms that can be life-threatening. According to the WHO, the mortality rate from severe dengue, if treated early, is less than 1%.
The tiger mosquito takes over
In 2020, the health authorities had identified two cases of autochthonous dengue and in 2021, 13 cases. The figures for 2022, still clearly on the rise, illustrate the long-term establishment in 67 French departments of the Aedes albopictus mosquito or tiger mosquito.
According to the Vigilance moustiques site, more and more departments in northern France and the Paris basin are concerned thanks to a more temperate climate, and a dozen of them, currently in orange surveillance, could be upgraded to the higher category.
According to the Ministry of Health, to protect yourself against dengue, it is logically necessary to protect yourself from the tiger mosquito. In particular, remember the importance of storing everything that can contain water, sheltering from the rain, wearing loose and covering clothing, using a skin repellent, or even, if necessary, mosquito nets in the openings (doors and windows).
In case of doubts about any spotted insect, it is recommended to contribute to the monitoring of your establishment by reporting it on the official website of the health authorities at the following address: signalement-moustique.anses.fr.
Source: BFM TV
