In an update on the dengue fever epidemic on Reunion Island, health authorities report 325 additional cases during the week of June 4, bringing the outbreak total to 5,019.
102 people have required hospitalization and 13 people experienced severe dengue.
Current weather conditions are still favorable for mosquitoes, especially in the lower parts of the island. The goal is to prevent the circulation of the virus during the winter to avoid a larger epidemic in the summer. Also, the health authorities call for a collective mobilization: personal protection against mosquito bites and elimination of breeding places by all.
Dengue is a disease transmitted by the bites of the tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus. It is characterized by a fever of sudden onset accompanied by one or more other symptoms: headache, joint and / or muscle pain, feeling of great tiredness and a rash.
This disease is not to be taken lightly. Indeed, in 2 to 4% of cases, there may be a progression to a severe form (2 to 5 days after the onset of symptoms). The patient can then develop signs of gravity such as: hemorrhage, hepatic impairment (liver), cardiovascular failures, forms of respiratory distress (shortness of breath) and vomiting and / or refusal to eat at the child.
Depending on the patient’s condition, it can be fatal. Finally, in rare cases, transmission from mother to child is possible.
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