Réunion: Dengue fever outbreak continues /update 1

Event

Health officials in the French overseas department (DOM) of Réunion reported 237 additional cases of dengue during the first week of April. Since the beginning of the year, nearly 1000 cases of the disease have been reported on the island, compared to fewer than 100 cases reported in all of 2017. The disease has so far been detected in the north, south, and west of the island. Anti-mosquito efforts ongoing since January, such as fumigation and destruction of potential mosquito breeding grounds, have been intensified.

Context

The current outbreak is the largest reported in the department since the 1970s.     

Symptoms of dengue fever include fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, nausea, and rashes. Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) is a potentially deadly complication that is characterized by high fever, the enlargement of the liver, and hemorrhaging.

Advice

Individuals in Réunion are advised to take measures to protect themselves from mosquito bites - e.g. by wearing covering clothing, using insect repellent, and sleeping under mosquito-netting or in an air conditioned room - and to eliminate possible mosquito breeding grounds (small pockets of fresh water, such as rain water that has collected in cans, bottles, tires, flower pots, clogged gutters, etc.).