Vector-borne diseases transmitted by vectors such as mosquitoes, lice, ticks, flies, gastropods kill several million people worldwide. For World Health Day, the WHO alerts people to the dangers of these diseases, their mode of contamination and the precautions to take to protect themselves.
Malaria kills the most
Mosquitoes, ticks, lice…. these are very small organisms carrying serious diseases which are responsible for the death of several million people in the world. Among these vector-borne diseases, malaria is the one that claims the most victims. According to WHO estimates, it was responsible for 660,000 deaths in 2010, mostly African children. By contrast, the fastest-spreading vector-borne disease in the world is dengue, the incidence of which has increased 30-fold over the past 50 years. Indeed, these diseases have appeared in countries such as the south of France, China, Portugal or Florida where they were previously unknown and the malaria reappeared in areas where they had disappeared. In question, globalization, travel, environmental problems, such as climate change and a hyper “efficient” mode of contamination of these diseases by simple mosquito bites. Every year, infected travelers coming from territories where these diseases are rife (Indian Ocean, West Indies, Guyana and Southeast Asia in particular), “introduce” these viruses into mainland France.
Essential prevention efforts
In all areas at risk (tropical countries) and in the event of travel to these geographical areas with a high rate of vector-borne diseases, the WHO reminds us that “you must be vaccinated against yellow fever, wear covering clothes, sleep under a mosquito net, apply repellent products and remove breeding places in and around its habitat (areas of stagnant water such as under pots, waste, gutters, etc.)”.
