With 59 confirmed cases and 200 suspects of Chikungunya, French Polynesia has reached its epidemic stage, according to an announcement from the local health ministry made on Wednesday.
4 times more cases in 5 days
French Polynesia had declared several cases recorded on the island of Tahiti 5 days ago. Indeed, several people, presenting symptoms of fever and joint pain were tested, and fifteen of them were declared to have the Chikungunya virus. The health authorities then tried to stop the start of the epidemic with insecticides to drive away the tiger mosquito, which carries the virus. But in vain. Not only has the number of cases in Polynesia quadrupled, but the virus has also spread to neighboring islands. 11 towns in the south and east of the island of Tahiti are affected.
At what stage can we speak of an epidemic?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an epidemic is defined as “a disease acquired by a relatively large number of people in a given region during a relatively short period of time”. Not to be confused with a “pandemic” or an “endemic”. “We speak of a pandemic in the event of the global spread of a new disease”, explains the WHO. An endemic is the persistence in a region of an infectious and contagious disease, affecting a large part of the population. The endemic can reign in a constant way in this region or return there at precise times.
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