Dengue fever has emerged as a health threat in southern France due to climate change and the presence of mosquitoes. A British woman contracted the disease near Nice, and health experts warn of further outbreaks. Symptoms range from mild flu-like symptoms to severe joint pain and internal bleeding. The region has experienced several outbreaks in recent years, and doctors say this is due to a warm climate and a large number of travelers returning from tropical countries. Climate change, increased trade and tourism, and other factors may lead to more dengue outbreaks in Europe.

What is the reason for the warning?

• A 44-year-old Briton contracted dengue fever when she traveled to a small village near Nice in southern France, last September.
• The woman suffered from fever, headache, muscle pain and a red rash for 3 days, but she did not need any medical treatment and fully recovered..
• Health experts have warned that the disease could spread further there due to climate change.
• The reason is that the Asian tiger mosquito, which carries the virus, spreads in warmer temperatures, so there are concerns that it is now an emerging health threat in the south of France..

What are the symptoms of dengue fever?

• Dengue fever, which is spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes, causes no symptoms in an estimated three-quarters of cases.
• They often cause mild, flu-like symptoms.
• A small minority of people experience headaches, severe joint pain, and even internal bleeding that can lead to death.

Why the French south?

• Between June and September 2022, the regional health agency in France reported (ARS)on 3 separate outbreaks of dengue virus in people in France who had not traveled abroad.
• The south of France has the right combination for a dengue outbreak, in terms of a warm climate, the presence of mosquitoes, and a large number of travelers returning from trips to tropical countries.”.
• Dengue has broken out several times there in the past 15 years, but the most recent is by far the most severe

What did doctors say?

This woman’s case was presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) This year in Copenhagen, by Dr Owen Donnelly, of the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in London, who told the Daily Mail:

• “The woman was part of an outbreak of more than 30 cases in the south of France in 2022, highlighting the rapidly changing dengue fever.”.
• “With climate change, in particular higher temperatures and more precipitation, increased global trade and tourism, and a combination of factors, we may see dengue outbreaks spread to more parts of Europe.”