Three cases of indigenous cholera have been recorded in Mayotte, which means that the people contracted the pathology in the territory, according to the regional health agency (ARS).
- In Mayotte, three cases of indigenous cholera have been recorded, which means that people contracted the pathology in the territory.
- In March, ten cases of cholera were identified by the ARS, these were people coming from the Comoros.
- 23 countries are currently reporting cholera outbreaks and Comoros is among those most affected.
The situation is worrying in Mayotte: three cases of indigenous cholera have been identified on the island, according to the Regional Health Agency (ARS). This means that those affected have contracted the pathology on the territory and that they have not traveled to a contaminated area in the 15 days preceding the appearance of symptoms.
Cases of indigenous cholera according to the ARS
“Since March 18 and the identification of the first case, 10 cases have been confirmed in Mayotte”, indicated the ARS in a communicated published on April 15. These were people from the Comoros, an archipelago close to Mayotte affected by a cholera epidemic since the beginning of the year.
To these 10 cases, there are now three new indigenous cases: a woman, a man and an infant, who have no biological link. “Most likely”, indicated Olivier Brahic, the director general of the ARS, during a press conference, is that these patients were contaminated by “a sick person [qui] did not present herself to the SAMU.”
Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection that is transmitted by ingestion of contaminated water or food. But, in the booklet of recommendations and actions to followthe ARS recalls that “transmission is mainly by the hands. A sick person goes (following a trip to the toilet in general) carrying bacteria on the hands and transmitting them: either directly by touching another person (…) or indirectly by touching an object.”
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), most infected people do not show symptoms. For those who have them, they remain mild to moderate in the majority of cases. But a minority of patients suffer from acute watery diarrhea, with severe dehydration. Without treatment, this disease can be fatal.
“We must monitor this situation closely, we are in the process of putting in place measures to identify contacts, put them on antibiotics and we are organizing the vaccination of the inhabitants of this area. assured Olivier Brahic.
Cholera epidemic affects 23 countries
Last February, the ARS set up a response plan in the event of introduction with, in particular, reinforced health checks at borders for better traceability of travelers. This Saturday, a screening center should be opened in Mayotte.
“The objective is to stifle any outbreak of an epidemic by going on site to disinfect the home and identify contact cases to whom we give antibiotic treatment.”, explains Olivier Brahic.
In Mayotte, 1,000 people were vaccinated in the territory. In stock, there remain 4,000 doses to which should be added another 2,600 vaccines which will arrive on the island next week.
According to WHO, 700,000 cases of cholera were reported in 2023 and currently 23 countries are reporting cholera outbreaks. Ethiopia, Somalia, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Comoros are among the most affected countries.
