Health authorities are sounding the alarm over the explosion of cases of dengue fever imported into France.
- Between January 1 and April 19, 2024, 1,679 cases of imported dengue fever were reported compared to 131 over the same period in 2023.
- The majority of cases (82%) returned from the French Antilles, where an epidemic has been ongoing since mid-2023.
- Public Health France calls on health professionals and travelers to be vigilant.
The number of imported cases of dengue fever in France – increasing since mid-2023 – has reached “unprecedented figures” during the first months of 2024. The strong presence of this disease transmitted by tiger mosquitoes worries the authorities, especially since the insect is now present in 78 metropolitan departments.
Dengue: more than 1,600 imported cases since the start of the year
The authorities recorded 1,679 cases of imported dengue fever between January 1 and April 19, 2024, compared to 131 over the same period in 2023. “The majority of cases (82%) returned from the French Antilles, where an epidemic has been ongoing since mid-2023”specifies Santé Publique France in its report published on April 23, 2024.
The Antilles, like the rest of the Americas, are indeed experiencing a significant wave of dengue cases. During the first quarter, the cumulative incidence rate in this region was 451 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. It is “3 times more than the same period in 2023 and 5 times more than the average number of cases over this period over the last 5 years”add the health authorities.
Dengue fever: the right actions to take to avoid transmission
Faced with the dengue epidemic raging in Martinique and Guadeloupe as well as the significant increase in the number of cases imported into mainland France, Public Health France calls for the vigilance of health professionals and travelers. She thus reminds us of the good actions to follow to avoid mosquito bites in infected regions:
- wear loose, covering clothing;
- use skin mosquito repellents;
- use fans;
- sleep under a mosquito net;
- connect electric diffusers;
- use coils outdoors.
In addition, during the 15 days following arrival from an area affected by dengue fever, it is also advisable to:
- consult a doctor in case of fever and tell him the region visited;
- continue to protect yourself against mosquito bites to prevent a “local” tiger mosquito from biting and being contaminated, in turn, by the dengue virus. “He could then transmit the virus to other people, during an injection,” explains Santé Publique France.
