The dengue epidemic continues in the West Indies

While France is holding its breath following the increase in the number of Covid-19, the West Indies must also maintain their vigilance on the current dengue epidemic. Appeared in October 2019 in Guadeloupe, and November 2019 in Martinique, Saint-Martin was also infected in January 2020 and Saint-Barthélémy in April. Since the start of the epidemic, general practitioners in the French West Indies have counted 20,390 suspected cases of dengue, including more than 2,000 in the past four weeks. About ten cases required treatment in an intensive care unit, and at least three deaths are to be deplored.

If Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy are in the “pre-epidemic” phase, Guadeloupe and Martinique are in the “confirmed epidemic” phase. Currently, the number of cases has stabilized for six weeks in the Guadeloupe archipelago around a hundred cases per week. An improvement in the situation since from November 2019 to March 2020, the number of cases fluctuated between 200 and 450 cases each week, with a peak at more than 500 cases at the end of February. The cases of dengue in July in Guadeloupe concern Grande-Terre (Le Gosier and to a lesser extent Saint-François), Basse-Terre (Petit-Bourg, Pointe-Noire) and to a lesser extent Terre-de-haut. If in Guadeloupe, Public Health France notes “a decrease in surveillance indicators”, the situation seems to get carried away in Martinique. On the island of flowers, Public Health France reports a “very active viral circulation throughout the territory“in the north and center of the island as well as the town of Diamant in the south. The number of suspected cases has been growing steadily since the end of November and reached a peak of 610 weekly cases in the last week of July.

Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin

In Saint-Barthélemy, the virus also seems to have been progressing since April. A peak was reached the week of July 20 to 26 with 62 clinical cases seen in city medicine and 33 biologically confirmed. The virus is circulating throughout the island.

In Saint-Martin, on the other hand, Public Health France sees a “net decrease” since July in surveillance indicators. “In the past four weeks [29 juin au 2 août, NDLR], an average of 35 consultations for suspected dengue fever were reported by general practitioners each week, i.e. half of the weekly values ​​recorded for four months“, writes in its report the public body. This descending phase remains to be confirmed in the coming weeks.

Dengue fever is a viral disease that is transmitted by a mosquito bite and there is no treatment or vaccine. The use of aspirin is strongly discouraged. Dengue fever can be expressed as three forms of illness, the most common, dengue fever, causes sudden high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, and pain in muscles and joints. Some people may develop a rash and varying degrees of bleeding in various parts of the body (including the nose, mouth, and gums or bruising on the skin).

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