In the town of Gardanne, a couple contracted dengue fever, a disease transmitted by mosquitoes during a bite, on national territory.
- From May 1 to August 4, 2023, 256 cases of dengue were recorded in metropolitan France.
- In Gardanne (Bouches-du-Rhône), two indigenous cases were detected on August 2.
- To prevent the spread of the virus, mosquito control and surveillance have been reinforced in the neighborhood where the infected couple, who are now cured, reside.
256. This is the number of dengue fever cases recorded in mainland France from May 1 to August 4, 2023, according to figures from Public health France. Among the most affected regions are Île-de-France, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, New Aquitaine, Occitanie and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. On August 2, in Gardanne, the first two autochthonous cases of dengue fever were identified in the Bouches-du-Rhône since the start of seasonal surveillance this year. “We speak of an indigenous case when a person has contracted the disease on national territory and has not traveled to a contaminated area in the 15 days preceding the onset of symptoms”, can we read in a statement of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Regional Health Agency (ARS). The couple who contracted this infection, which is transmitted from person to person through the bite of a mosquito infected with the virus, is now cured.
Reinforced mosquito control after the detection of two indigenous cases of dengue fever
To stop the spread of this viral infection, potentially infected adult mosquitoes should be eliminated to prevent them from biting another person and to eliminate breeding sites. For this, the Interdepartmental Agreement for Mosquito Control of the Mediterranean Coast (EID-Med) carried out mosquito control within a radius of 200 meters in the neighborhood where the two patients lived (public road, private gardens). A door-to-door survey in the affected neighborhood was also conducted to identify adults who might be showing symptoms of dengue fever. “Hospitals, private doctors and medical analysis laboratories in the sectors concerned are also mobilized to take care of and screen people who could show symptoms of dengue”, indicates the ARS.
Dengue fever: how to protect yourself from mosquito bites?
At first, it is advisable to limit the multiplication of mosquitoes around your house. To do this, you must store everything that can contain water (buckets, watering cans) away from the rain, empty the plant cups, tightly tarp or cover the water reserves with a mosquito net, ensure that good drainage from the gutters and pick up green waste that can become resting places for these insects.
To avoid being bitten by mosquitoes, it is recommended to wear loose and covering clothing, to use a skin repellent on exposed areas of skin, mosquito nets with cots for infants, electric diffusers inside the houses, insecticidal coils only outdoors, and air conditioners or fans that interfere with mosquitoes. “Consult your doctor immediately in the presence of symptoms suggestive of dengue fever (high fever, muscle or joint pain, eye pain, fatigue, headache).”
