About ten days ago, the Reunion Regional Health Agency (ARS) decided to strengthen the dengue alert level and to activate level 2B of the ORSEC plan to combat arboviruses (diseases transmitted by mosquitoes). Alert level 2B corresponds to an intensification of viral circulation, with the risk of evolving into an epidemic.
Since then, the virus has continued to circulate actively in several municipalities (Saint-Louis, Saint-Leu, Le Tampon and Saint-Pierre) and last week 23 new indigenous cases of dengue fever were identified in Reunion. In total, since the detection of viral circulation on the island at the end of 2015, 184 indigenous cases of dengue fever have been identified.
In addition, 6 imported cases were also detected from Malaysia, Nicaragua, Bali and Thailand.
In addition, patients infected with dengue virus do not necessarily go to the doctor, the actual number of cases on the island is probably much higher.
Precautionary measures
The health authorities recall the measures to be followed by the inhabitants of Reunion Island:
• Eliminate breeding sites in its environment (empty saucers, check the flow of gutters, respect waste collection days, empty small containers, etc.),
• Protect yourself from mosquito bites (wearing long clothes, using repellents and mosquito nets), including when you are sick so as not to contaminate those around you.
• Consult a doctor quickly, in the event of onset of fever, possibly associated with headaches, muscle pain, rashes.
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