Since the beginning of the year, in France, there has been a record number of imported dengue fever, with the health authorities calling for vigilance, especially as the Olympic Games are approaching.
Between January 1 and April 18, 1,679 cases of imported dengue fever were reported, compared to 131 in 2023 during the same period, according to official data.
This phenomenon is observed shortly before the start of the Olympic Games in Paris (July 26 – August 11), when a record number of tourists from all corners of the world is expected, but also in full season of tiger mosquitoes. Thus, a record is expected to be recorded in it regarding the number of imported dengue fever cases, compared to 2023 (2,019).
We are facing an unprecedented situation, the general director of Health, Dr. Gregory Emery, said at a press conference.
These imported cases involve people traveling to many areas of the world where the virus, transmitted by the tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus), is endemic. There is no direct human-to-human transmission.
What we observe in the Hexagon is a mirror of what is happening in the Antilles, but also in the Latin American and Caribbean area, explained the Director General for Public Health in France, Dr. Caroline Semaille.
In fact, the World Health Organization warned that dengue fever will become a threat to southern Europe and the USA, but also in some areas of Africa. This expansion of the threat posed by dengue fever is also explained by the warming of the climate, which creates optimal conditions for the multiplication of mosquitoes that carry the virus of this tropical disease. Added to the climate element is the increasing flow of travelers globally and the effect of urbanization.
Official data shows that, globally, the number of these infections has increased eightfold since 2000.
Dengue fever
Dengue fever is caused by a virus transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, a type of mosquito widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. Most people who contract this disease have mild, flu-like symptoms. However, about 2% of affected people develop a severe form of the disease, a potentially fatal complication such as dengue hemorrhagic fever and/or dengue shock syndrome.
The main risk factors for contracting a severe form of dengue fever are young age and the presence of chronic diseases, as well as secondary infection in the form of two successive infections with different serotypes of the virus.
There are four types of dengue virus. People who live in a dengue-endemic area may contract several dengue infections during their lifetime.
There are no specific treatments for dengue fever and prevention is mainly limited to environmental measures against mosquitoes.
There is currently no vaccine against dengue virus infection in the EU.
Currently, dengue is by far the most common mosquito-borne viral disease affecting the population worldwide (especially in tropical areas). Tens of millions of cases occur annually, resulting in approximately 20,000-25,000 deaths, especially in children.
