237 cases of dengue have been diagnosed since early 2021

The authorities have recorded 237 cases of dengue fever since the beginning of 2021, with more than 60 cases per week during the past two weeks.

We fully publish the press release of the state of La Reunion regarding this epidemic.

The virus is spreading actively on the island and the country is deploying reinforcements!

Since the start of the year, there have been 237 confirmed cases of dengue fever, with more than 60 cases per week over the past two weeks. 16 municipalities on the island are concerned, in particular the municipalities of Port, Saint Joseph and Possession.

The disease vector control teams of the Reunion Regional Health Agency, which have been mobilized vigorously, have been strengthened since the beginning of the year by temporary workers, and as of this week, 20 volunteer firefighters from SDIS have joined the system to intervene as a priority on the most active dengue hotspots.

Dengue fever case on Reunion Island on February 16, 2021 (data from the French Public Health Unit in the region, ARS)

The municipalities of Port and Saint Joseph reported the most cases.

The number of cases is on the rise at La Possession.

Clusters of cases (dengue foci) have been identified in the following neighborhoods:

The Port (Satec, Manes, L’épuisement, Cité Parny, Aristide-Bolon, Old town, Say, Piscine, Zac1, ZUP 1, Cœur bleeding high)
La Possession (Moline Jolie) • Saint Joseph (La Jack, La Caenne)

Since January 2021:

237 confirmed cases
12 hospitalization
19 emergency room visits

Isolated cases have been identified in 16 municipalities:

• Saint Joseph
• Saint-Pierre
• San Felipe
• San Leo
• Small island
• St. Andrew
• Saint Louis
• Saint Paul
• Harbor
• Saint Susan
• Property
• Saint Denis
• St. Benedict
• neutral
• To Tang Sal
• The paddles

SDIS Agents Mobilize to Support ARS Teams

In anticipation of the emergence of a new epidemic wave, the prefecture and ARS in La Reunion expected to reinforce vector control teams at the end of 2020.

Thus, as of this week, 20 volunteer firefighters from SDIS (Fire and Rescue Service) are mobilized daily to carry out door-to-door intervention and treatment.

Trained and equipped by ARS teams since the start of this week, these SDIS agents are in service until the arrival of the upcoming southern winter.

Today in the western region, their mission is to intervene with the most active families on the island in order to:

To inform and educate the population about preventive measures;
Remove anything that may contain water (breeding areas) in yards and gardens;
To conduct larvicidal treatments (using PTI to eliminate mosquito larvae) in yards and gardens to reduce the emergence of new mature mosquitoes.

Depending on the evolution of the epidemiological situation, the numbers mobilized, their places of intervention, and their tasks are likely to evolve. Once the first pandemic wave occurred in 2018, SDIS joined the vector control teams to curb the spread of the dengue virus.

As an important partner of the system, its mobilization over the past three years included 4,169 areas of intervention, or 51,194 houses were visited. This strong involvement of SDIS actively contributes to the implementation and effectiveness of Reunion’s epidemic management system.

Recommendations for fighting dengue fever

Protect yourself and those around you from mosquito bites, even if you are sick: insect repellants, mosquito nets, long clothes, and diffusers.
Even if you previously had dengue, continue to protect yourself
Get rid of breeding sites: Empty anything that may contain water around your home
Consult a doctor if symptoms appear (fever, headache, muscle / joint pain, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, etc.).

Your doctor will prescribe a sample to be taken in the laboratory for medical analyzes to confirm a diagnosis of dengue fever. This biological assertion is essential to guide vector control team interventions that help reduce the spread of dengue virus in the Region.

Find all the news about dengue fever in Reunion on The social networking site Facebook Together against mosquitoes.