Two indigenous cases of chikungunya detected in Dordogne

In a press release, the ARS (regional health agency) announced that two indigenous cases of chikungunya have been detected in Dordogne, specifically in Bergerac. Immediate measures have been implemented to limit any risk of spread. An indigenous case is defined as a person who has contracted the disease on French territory and has not traveled to a contaminated area in the fifteen days preceding the onset of symptoms. As a reminder, chikungunya is transmitted from person to person, solely through the bite of a mosquito (the tiger mosquito present in mainland France) infected with the chikungunya virus. These new cases confirm that the chikungunya virus is circulating in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. This is the fourth indigenous transmission hotspot identified in the region, after those in Landes, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, and Charente.

Prevent the spread

To prevent the spread of the disease, Altopictus (the operator responsible for monitoring the tiger mosquito in Dordogne) has carried out mosquito control operations near places frequented by the person in Bergerac. The objective is to eliminate breeding sites and adult mosquitoes that can transmit the virus. Residents in the affected areas were informed by a flyer placed in their mailboxes. If residents have not received information in their mailboxes, it is because their home is not affected by these treatments.

A door-to-door survey was carried out by the ARS Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Santé publique France, in collaboration with the Bergerac town hall, to identify people who had experienced symptoms in the previous weeks or who currently have symptoms suggestive of chikungunya (fever above 38.5 degrees, joint pain, rash, fatigue, muscle pain) and to inform them on what to do.