Record dengue cases recorded in France - how to prevent the spread
Health authorities have warned that cases of native and imported dengue are at record levels
Dengue fever is spread by infected tiger mosquitoes, which are now found everywhere in France
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New figures show that a record number of cases of dengue fever have been transmitted in France this year.
Santé Publique France (SPF) this week released a study showing that 80 people have contracted the disease in France since May this year, without having travelled to an at-risk country. This is a new record, up from the 65 cases reported in 2022, and the 45 recorded in 2023.
Many native dengue cases (infections in France not in someone who has travelled to a high-risk country) contracted this year were in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, which recorded 58 infections. This is likely because warmer temperatures help carrier mosquitoes to spread.
Health body ANSES (Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire) has even said in a recent report that France could even be at risk of an epidemic of dengue in the next five years. It put the likelihood of such an outbreak at 6 or 7 out of 10 (with 10 the most likely).
Read also: ‘Native’ case of dengue fever in Hérault, first in France in 2024
Imported cases
The rise in native cases also tally - unsurprisingly - with a rise in imported cases (infections among people who have travelled to a high-risk zone).
Since the beginning of the year, SPF has recorded 3,938 imported dengue cases, 22 cases of chikungunya, and five of Zika. This is 1.5 times the number reported in 2023.
Read also: Tiger mosquitoes: dengue fever cases identified in south-west France
Read also: Dengue fever cases surge in France since start of year
The majority of these cases (68%) involved travellers returning from the French overseas territories of Guadeloupe and Martinique, which have experienced major outbreaks of the diseases for more than a year.
Imported cases of dengue, chikungunya or Zika since May this year were reported in the regions of:
Ile-de-France (463)
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (213)
Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur (187)
Nouvelle-Aquitaine (152)
Occitanie (145)
Hauts-de-France (92)
Brittany (90)
Grand Est (90)
Pays de la Loire (84)
Normandy (70)
Centre-Val de Loire (69)
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (50)
Corsica (3)
Dengue fever is spread by infected tiger mosquitoes, which were first noted in mainland France in 2004, in the south-eastern town of Menton. They are now found nationwide.
Read also: Latest on tiger mosquitoes in France: where, what risk and what to do
Read also: Tiger mosquitoes now in Normandy, last region of France to escape them
‘Alarming trend’
Director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has said that the spread of dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases in recent years is “an alarming trend that demands a coordinated response across sectors and across borders”.
“From maintaining clean environments to supporting vector control and seeking and providing timely medical care, everyone has a role to play in the fight against dengue,” he said, when announcing a global WHO plan to help fight tiger-mosquito-borne illnesses earlier this month.
The number of dengue cases worldwide has doubled each year since 2021, the WHO added, with more than 12.3 million cases, including more than 7,900 deaths, reported in the first eight months of 2024.
It also estimates that around four billion people worldwide are currently at risk of contracting dengue, chikungunya or Zika.
Dengue symptoms include high fever, headaches, nausea and vomiting, and typically last two to three weeks. The condition is not normally life-threatening or fatal but can be in severe cases.
How to prevent the spread of dengue
ANSES recommends that people take “individual action” to fight against the spread of dengue, to support collective measures by authorities to reduce the presence of tiger mosquitoes.
It recommends the following measures and actions:
Regularly empty saucers and other containers filled with water, to prevent them becoming mosquito breeding grounds
Cover rainwater collection tanks with mosquito netting
Protect yourself from mosquito bites by wearing long, loose-fitting, light-coloured clothing and using repellents
People arriving in France from an area where dengue is common and circulating (e.g. the French overseas territories) should also take precautions to avoid virus transmission, including:
Protecting themselves from mosquito bites;
Notifying a healthcare professional immediately if you experience any symptoms that could be early signs of a viral disease (fever, flu, etc.), and letting them know you have been in an area that has a high risk of dengue.
