Public Health France has just published a consolidated report of dengue, chikungunya and Zika cases reported from May 1 to December 8, 2023. The numbers are rising as the Aedes mosquito, a carrier of tropical diseases, is increasingly colonizing the region. conditions and global warming.
With 211 cases of dengue and 3 cases of chikungunya reported between May 1 and December 8, 2023, Occitania leads: according to data published by Public Health France, it is the third region in mainland France affected by dengue fever, behind Ile-de-France (641 cases) and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (242 cases).
In France, last year, a total of 2,019 imported cases of dengue fever were reported, compared to 271 in 2022, although it was classified as“Exceptional Year”. The number of cases in the region has also exploded: in 2022, a total of 51 imported cases of dengue were reported.
Chikungunya, another disease spread by the tiger mosquito, is less prevalent in the region. 30 cases were imported into France in 2023 (22 in 2022), including 10 in the most affected region, Auvergne-Rhône Alpes.
Zika cases are also rare: 9 cases (3 in 2022).
Three indigenous houses in Perpignan, Gagniers, Montpellier
Three of the nine centers of indigenous transmission of dengue (a viral disease characterized by fever and joint pain) identified in France were located in Occitania: in Perpignan in late July–mid-August (11 cases), in Gagniers in Gard in late August (9 cases), and in Montpellier in September. (3 cases).
Mainly present on the Mediterranean coast twenty years ago, the tiger mosquito now colonizes almost the entire regional area. The pest is subject to increased surveillance, “Health Priority” Public for regional health agency, alert for progress of cases.
