By NewsDesk  @bactiman63

Public Health France is reporting that the number of confirmed dengue fever cases seen in the island of Reunion has reached 10,000 since the beginning of 2019.

Image/ARS Indian Ocean

Officials also note that estimates of the number of cases presenting with symptoms of the disease and consulting a doctor (whether or not tests were performed) are more likely to be around 3,500 cases per week, or more than 30,000 people since the beginning of the year.

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Areas in the southern part of the island ( Etang-Salé, Les Avirons, Saint-Joseph, Petite-Ile Saint-Louis ) are still very active, but decreasing. On the other hand, the number of cases continues to increase in the municipalities of the West and the North.

Since the beginning of the epidemic in 2018, more than 17,000 confirmed indigenous cases have been reported–including 497 hospitalizations and 14 deaths.

In addition, since the beginning of the outbreak, an estimated 56,000 clinically evocative cases have been recorded.

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Dengue is a viral infection transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito. There are four closely related but antigenically different serotypes of the virus that can cause dengue (DEN1, DEN 2, DEN 3, DEN 4).

    • Dengue Fever (DF) – marked by an onset of sudden high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, and pain in muscles and joints. Some may also have a rash and varying degree of bleeding from various parts of the body (including nose, mouth and gums or skin bruising).Dengue has a wide spectrum of infection outcome (asymptomatic to symptomatic). Symptomatic illness can vary from dengue fever (DF) to the more serious dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF).
    • Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) – is a more severe form, seen only in a small proportion of those infected. DHF is a stereotypic illness characterized by 3 phases; febrile phase with high continuous fever usually lasting for less than 7 days; critical phase (plasma leaking) lasting 1-2 days usually apparent when fever comes down, leading to shock if not detected and treated early; convalescence phase lasting 2-5 days with improvement of appetite, bradycardia (slow heart rate), convalescent rash (white patches in red background), often accompanied by generalized itching (more intense in palms and soles), and diuresis (increase urine output).
    • Dengue Shock Syndrome (DSS) — Shock syndrome is a dangerous complication of dengue infection and is associated with high mortality. Severe dengue occurs as a result of secondary infection with a different virus serotype. Increased vascular permeability, together with myocardial dysfunction and dehydration, contribute to the development of shock, with resultant multiorgan failure.