Already 13 cases of dengue, chikungunya and zika reported since May 1 in the Alpes-Maritimes and Var, the ARS warns about tiger mosquitoes

You've probably already noticed, but tiger mosquitoes are back.

Besides being particularly annoying when they keep us awake, these insects are vectors of diseases, including dengue fever, chikungunya and zika .

The enhanced surveillance system, active from May 1 to November 30, has recorded 33 imported cases since the beginning of the month in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region.

The infected travelers were returning from Guadeloupe, French Polynesia, Martinique, Ivory Coast, Thailand, Reunion Island and Mauritius, according to data from Public Health France.

Fear of indigenous circulation of viruses

In detail, the Bouches-du-Rhône department is the most affected with five cases of dengue fever and eight of chikungunya.

The Var region follows with four cases of dengue fever and five of chikungunya, then the Alpes-Maritimes with one case of dengue fever, two of chikungunya and the only case of Zika in the region.

"Currently, due in particular to the chikungunya epidemics in Réunion and Mayotte and dengue fever in the Antilles, many imported cases are being identified upon their return to mainland France , warned the Regional Health Agency (ARS) on Thursday, May 22. This situation raises fears of the establishment of indigenous circulation of these diseases in the coming weeks."

Last year, 76 indigenous cases were recorded in Paca between mid-July and mid-October. "Our region has never seen such a high number," reports the ARS, which is concerned about a " clear upward trend " since 2022 "making our region the most exposed to the risk of indigenous transmission in the whole of France."

Fever, muscle pain, headache...

The main symptoms of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika are sudden onset of fever , muscle and/or joint pain , headache , and rash . These symptoms usually disappear within a few days.

For people with chikungunya, "joint signs can last from a few weeks to several years, even longer if the patient is older," warns the Pasteur Institute.

Any confirmed case must be reported to the Regional Health Agency, which then launches an investigation in collaboration with Public Health France to identify " potential sites of contamination and risks of spread."