When people visit romantic Paris this summer, the last thing they want to think about is contracting dengue fever.
Due to warmer temperatures, the mosquito-borne disease has been on the rise again in France for several months.
The timing is not particularly good – this summer is the focus of the country’s attention, as the Olympic Games will be held there from the end of July, which are expected to attract millions of visitors in addition to the usual tourist crowds.
That is why France has sent its “dengue detectives” into action. They will track down the hotspots of the disease, look for mosquito eggs and help contain the spread of the virus in French cities.
“It is true that the Olympic Games are a critical moment,” said Cécile Somarriba, director of health surveillance and security at the Regional Health Authority of Greater Paris (ARS), The Telegraph“We are focusing our surveillance on places where large gatherings of people take place. That is where the risk of transmission is highest.”
The ARS launched a campaign to monitor the mosquito population in Paris and its surrounding suburbs by setting up 526 nest traps, which are sent for analysis every month.
The so-called detectives are cracking down on the Aedes albopictusalso known as the Asian tiger mosquito, which thrives in the conditions offered by cities like Paris in the summer – a mix of hot and humid weather with lots of people coming and going.
The Olympic Games in Paris are just around the corner and we are expected to over 15 million visitorsThe authorities are tightening controls in “fan zones” where visitors from all over the world can gather, such as airports.
Symptoms of dengue fever include high fever, headache and nausea. Severe infections can be fatal but are rare if diagnosed early.
The high alert regarding dengue cases comes just months after the massive Bed bug infestation in Paris’ public transport network. At the time, the country was preparing to host the Rugby World Cup, which increased pressure on the French transport authority to quickly remove the pests.
Last year, data analysis Company Airfinity warned that global warming would cause locally transmitted dengue cases in France to increase fifty-fold by 2030.
The threat from vector-borne diseases such as dengue fever has increased in recent months and has reached an all-time high. end of April.
Earlier this year, French health authorities warned of the risk of imported dengue cases as the number of cases in America was swollen.
Although it is difficult to eradicate the virus completely given the enormous influx of visitors, there are ways to control its spread.
To monitor the situation, health authorities have set up a website and are calling hotels, schools and other locations to report and detect possible outbreaks early. At some Olympic venues, traps are being set up that emit human-like odors to attract mosquitoes.
Parisians are also being encouraged not to allow standing water to collect in their gardens to prevent mosquitoes from breeding there.