“Two indigenous cases of infection by the Western Nile virus were detected in people residing in Seine-Saint-Denis”summarizes the regional health agency of Île-de-France in a press release published on Wednesday August 13. “These are the first identifications of local vector transmission of the virus in Île-de-France”. This virus is transmitted via mosquito bites of the genus Culex, very widespread in mainland France.
The virus is not transmitted from one human to another by the mosquito, but from an infected bird. The infection is generally without symptoms, but in about a fifth of the cases, it gives rise to a flu. In less than 1 % of cases, serious complications may appear, sometimes causing death. Aboriginal cases-that is to say resulting from on-site contamination-have already been reported in metropolitan France in previous years, but never so north. This summer, apart from the two Ile-de-France cases, five other indigenous cases were recorded in the south, in Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur, said the National Public Health Agency France in another report, published on Wednesday.
Cases of chikungunya and dengue
Public Health France also continues to follow the evolution of Aboriginal cases of Chikungunya in mainland France each week. They are this summer at a particularly high level this summer, after an epidemic in Reunion which facilitated the importation of the virus. From now on, “23 episodes of chikungunya totaling 115 cases with 1 to 23 cases per episode” were recorded in mainland France, according to Public Health France, adding that six of these episodes are closed. The previous week, the results were 16 households for 63 cases, an already record level.
In terms of dengue, six households have been identified for a total of eleven cases. The previous week, the balance sheet rose to five households for nine cases. The transmission of dengue and chikungunya in mainland France is a consequence of the establishment of the tiger mosquito. He was still absent from the metropolis a few decades ago, but he now settled there, against a background of global warming.
