Since November 25, 18 cases of zika have been confirmed in New Caledonia. All those affected were travelers from Tahiti. Cases of dengue and chikungunya were also declared and the health and social affairs department (DASS) fears that the high heat of the summer months, from January to March, will help infections to multiply.
The health authorities of New Caledonia have therefore declared war on the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the carrier of these three viruses with similar symptoms. Dark in color and easily recognizable by its visible white markings on its legs, this mosquito thrives in small reservoirs of water in any container. The DASS recommends that any traveler arriving on the island within seven days to protect themselves with repellents and to consult a doctor without delay if one or more of the following symptoms occurs: fever, muscle and / or joint pain, rash on the skin (red or pink spots), headaches, conjunctivitis.
More or less serious effects
An awareness campaign has been launched by the local government. “What we fear most is the spread of zika, chikungunya or a new two or three dengue serotype, as in Polynesia, because the Caledonian population is virgin. This mosquito lays in specific breeding grounds. If each of us is vigilant we can get rid of it, “said Martine Noël, health surveillance doctor at the DASS, quoted by AFP. “Of the 18 reported cases of zika, all of the people were returning from Tahiti, but it is possible that the virus is circulating locally without our knowledge yet,” she said.
In case of dengue, hospitalization is sometimes necessary and cases of hemorrhagic forms of the disease, which are rare, can lead to death. Regarding the zika virus, no death or hospitalization has been recorded and does not seem to have a long-term effect. Chikungunya, on the other hand, can cause joint pain that lasts for several months or even more than a year and requires special monitoring in fragile people such as infants, diabetics, people with heart, kidney or respiratory failure. and the elderly.