2 thirds (61%) of French people consider this danger to be greater than 10 years ago.
- The French are increasingly exposed to the tiger mosquito, a vector of emerging diseases such as dengue fever, zika and chikungunya (also called “arboviruses*”).
- The French link the spread of emerging diseases to climate change, according to a new poll.
- 22% of participants said they were aware of Zika, 48% of dengue fever and 50% of chikungunya.
At a press conference held this morning, several emerging disease specialists commented on the publication of a new survey on the subject conducted by OpinionWay for Valneva France.
Whether they are traveling or living in our country, the French are increasingly exposed to the tiger mosquito, a vector of emerging diseases such as dengue fever, zika and chikungunya (also called “arboviruses*”).
Concerning the increased risks of catching this type of illness, the survey cited at the beginning of the article reveals first of all that the French are rather aware of it. “While 88% of them said they considered the probability of catching an emerging disease to be high in the regions of the world affected by these diseases, almost two thirds (61%) also considered the risk to be higher than 10 years ago in mainland France,” says Nadia Auzanneau, deputy general manager at OpinionWay.
Emerging diseases: the French associate it with climate change
Although it is not the only factor, the French also associate the spread of emerging diseases with climate change. For 4 out of 5 respondents (86%), the latter contributes significantly, for example, to the arrival of chikungunya in regions that had been spared until now.
“Even if the climate plays an important role, it must be remembered that it is trade and population movements that are the main causes of the spread of the tiger mosquito in regions that have been spared until now,” explains Professor Christophe Rapp, infectious disease specialist at the American Hospital of Paris.
Emerging diseases: the French don’t know them very well
Furthermore, the survey tells us that the French are not very familiar with the diseases carried by the tiger mosquito. “22% of participants say they know about Zika, 48% about dengue fever and 50% about chikungunya,” can be read in the report.
“Although the majority of French people know that chikungunya is a virus, they are nevertheless far from knowing the symptoms and the impact of such a disease on the quality of life of those affected, who experience chronic pain and may be unable to work,” adds Professor Christophe Rapp.
The survey also reveals that only one third (33%) of French people believe that there is a high chance of catching an emerging disease in mainland France. “However, there is a high risk of epidemics linked to the tiger mosquito in the coming years in our territory,” underlines Professor Christophe Rapp.
Finally, 56% of respondents said they would be prepared to be vaccinated against chikungunya if possible. “Valneva aims to offer a vaccine solution against chikungunya by the end of the year,” reveals Nicolas Arvis, general manager of Valneva France, on this precise point. “By actively involving local, international and military authorities, we can strengthen our collective response,” he believes.
*Arboviruses means: “virus transmitted by blood-feeding arthropods such as mosquitoes.”
