Nearly 70 locally acquired cases of chikungunya, dengue fever, and West Nile virus have now been recorded in mainland France. A case is considered locally acquired when the infected person has not recently traveled to an area where the virus is commonly found, meaning that transmission occurred within the community.
Public Health France reported 30 cases of West Nile virus as of August 24, twelve more than the previous week. Infections were detected in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Occitanie, Île-de-France, and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions. For the first time, human cases were identified in the Aude, Seine-et-Marne, and Drôme departments.
The tiger mosquito is present in 83 departments
Chikungunya has resulted in 33 cases across seven transmission episodes in the Tarn, Lot, Gironde, and Val-de-Marne departments. Five cases of dengue fever have also been recorded during four episodes in the Tarn, Hérault, Dordogne, and Bouches-du-Rhône departments. Both diseases are transmitted by the tiger mosquito, which is now established in 83 metropolitan departments.
West Nile virus is transmitted by Culex mosquitoes , which become infected through contact with infected birds. The disease is generally asymptomatic, but it can cause flu-like symptoms and, in less than 1% of cases, serious neurological complications. Public Health France emphasizes that the geographic spread of these viruses is facilitated by globalization, urbanization, and climate change.
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