Surveillance of arboviral diseases in mainland France: sharp increase in locally transmitted dengue cases in 2022

The Aedes albopictus mosquito, which has been established in mainland France since 2004, continues to expand its range. To limit the risk of local transmission of the arboviruses it can transmit (dengue, chikungunya, and Zika), a surveillance system for both imported and locally acquired cases has been in place since 2006. Surveillance relies on the mandatory reporting of biologically confirmed cases. It is intensified between May and November, particularly through the analysis of laboratory data to identify unreported cases and guide the implementation of control measures (vector control). In 2022, 378 imported cases of dengue, 23 of chikungunya, and six of Zika were reported in mainland France. Nine episodes of local dengue transmission totaling 66 cases were documented: five episodes in Occitanie (12 cases), three in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (52 cases), and one in Corsica (two cases). Six of these outbreaks occurred in departments where no indigenous cases had previously been reported. The occurrence of indigenous dengue cases is now an expected phenomenon in southern France, but the situation was exceptional in 2022: an increase in the number of outbreaks, their intensity, and the geographic areas affected. The increase in outbreaks and the expansion of their geographic distribution could jeopardize the sustainability of the surveillance system. Maintaining the capacity to limit local transmission of arboviral diseases requires sustained involvement from surveillance, prevention, and control stakeholders, attention to the resources needed for the system, and preparation for larger outbreaks.

Author(s): Calba Clémentine, Cochet Amandine, Jourdain Frédéric, Grard Gilda, Durand Guillaume André, Guinard Anne, Fournier Lucie, Barbry Alexia, Soares Anaïs, Verdurme Laura, Visseaux Benoit, Paty Marie-Claire, Franke Florian

Publishing year: 2023

Pages: 248-254

Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin, 2023, n° 14, p. 248-254

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