Virologist Mahjoub Aouni said this Friday, August 8, that no case of infection by the Chikungunya virus was recorded in Tunisia, while reassuring the absence of risk of epidemic spread in the country.
Intervening on Diwan FM, Aouni explained that this virus, recently reported in China, is not new and that its presence is closely linked to its vector, the mosquito. “The mosquito is developing in wetlands, rich in stagnant waters and swamps,” he said, adding that the transmission of the virus is made from an individual infected to another, but that it is not deadly.
According to him, the cases identified abroad remain isolated and do not translate a dynamic of transmission of the epidemic type.
The most common symptoms of infection are a high fever, vomiting, muscle and headache, intense fatigue, as well as redness of the eyes.
To limit the risks, Mahjoub Aouni recommends treating areas conducive to the proliferation of mosquitoes and to use suitable repellents, both at home and in workplaces.
As a reminder, the Chinese authorities recently reported a worrying increase in infections in Chikungunya, with more than 7,000 cases confirmed at the beginning of August, mainly concentrated in the city of Foshan.