Dengue fever epidemic: 300 new cases every week

Around 300 new cases of dengue fever are officially recorded every week. We are thus approaching the mark of 6,000 cases since December 11, while the number of active cases was 386 as of May 14.

With an average of 300 new cases of dengue fever per week, the risk of spreading the disease remains present, according to the Thus, vigilance remains essential, even if it is known that in winter, there are fewer mosquitoes. However, it must be remembered that the previous dengue epidemic began at the beginning of May 2023 but did not reach the same scale as the one we are currently experiencing. As of May 14, 5,850 cases have been officially recorded, according to Health Ministry figures, and the country has 386 active cases.

Several measures have been taken to counter the proliferation of mosquitoes, aiming not only to combat dengue fever, but also other diseases transmitted by mosquitoes: malaria, Zika, chikungunya and even filariasis, underlines Dr Meethoo-Badulla. For this, the Ministry of Health benefits from the support of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC). The WHO sent an expert in “Risk communication and Community engagement” to Mauritius in order to raise awareness among the population of the need to take adequate measures to prevent the proliferation of mosquitoes. The NCD Coordinator thus underlines that all the methods used by the authorities will not have the expected effects without the individual and collective responsibility of citizens.

Dr Meethoo-Badulla points out that dengue can be fatal, particularly in people suffering from other co-morbidities. As of May 14, eight deaths directly attributed to dengue had been recorded, according to the Ministry of Health.