The Guadeloupe has passed “in epidemic phase for dengue fever “ with a rare serotype that could cause “a high number of casesaccording to an official statement issued on Thursday evening, calling for every effort to be made to “minimize” the impact of the disease.

Meeting earlier in the day, the management committee chaired by the regional prefect took the following decisions “the transition to epidemic phase for dengue fever”.The prefecture, the Guadeloupe mayors’ association and the Agence Régionale de Santé de Guadeloupe et des îles du Nord issued a joint press release. The authorities launch “a call for the mobilization of all those involved”. in the fight against “to minimize the impact of this disease”. in the coming weeks.

This year, “a serotype of the dengue virus that has circulated little in the last twenty years”.DENV3, is causing the authorities to fear “risks of severe form and “a high number of cases” if “resolute control or prevention actions are not implemented”.according to the press release. Among 62 samples analyzed between late September and mid-October, “97% were DENV3according to the latest bulletin from Santé Publique France.

540 weekly cases in outpatient clinics

The seasonal threshold for clinical cases (80 cases per week) has been exceeded by a wide margin. At the end of October, there were an estimated 540 cases in primary care, more than double the number in September. In hospitals, Santé Publique France reported last month “an average of 40 emergency room visits per week for suspected dengue fever, compared with 25 in September”..

The joint communiqué from the authorities reiterated that it was “essential” to combat stagnant water, which allows the larvae of the disease vector to thrive, the mosquitoto develop. These stagnant waters are often “and may have been “fed by recent heavy rains”.the press release stresses. The authorities also recommend “wear loose-fitting clothing”., the use of“an approved repellent product and the use of pre-impregnated mosquito nets.