Cholera epidemic in Mayotte
Following the resurgence of the disease in East Africa since 2021, a cholera epidemic has been ongoing in the Comoros since February 2, 2024 with an intensification of circulation in recent weeks, particularly in Anjouan.
This epidemic spread to the neighboring French archipelago of Mayotte.
As of May 29, 2024, 125 cases of cholera have been reported in Mayotte since the first case on March 18, 2024, of which 106 are indigenous cases and 19 were imported from the Comoros or countries on the African continent.
Among them, 12 cases requiring intensive care and two deaths have been recorded since the start of the epidemic.
The vast majority of cases (71) were detected in the commune of Koungou, in a precarious neighborhood with difficulties in accessing drinking water (some residents of this neighborhood consume river water) and poor sanitation. sanitation (lack of wastewater disposal, sharing of latrines) which are the main risks of spreading the disease. This community transmission of cholera in Koungou and the risk of importing new cases of cholera from the Comoros expose Mayotte to a risk of local transmission throughout the territory, particularly in other precarious neighborhoods. A new outbreak was reported on May 14 in the commune of Mtzangamouji.
The Mayotte Regional Health Agency's mission is to limit as much as possible the introduction and spread of the disease in the territory. To this end, it has strengthened health monitoring and implemented screening and diagnosis of people entering the territory as well as control measures around each diagnosed case.
The French Public Health Regional Unit in Mayotte conducts field investigations, going to the homes of infected people or to units dedicated to the treatment of cholera in hospitals in order to interview people or their entourage. These investigations aim to determine whether it is an infection contracted in Mayotte or not or whether there is an epidemiological link with sick people with already confirmed cholera, with the aim of tracing the chain of transmission and 'avoid new ones.
Other information is collected (clinical data including start date and type of symptoms, presence of other sick people in the surroundings, access to water, other potential sources of exposure). This information is shared with the ARS as well as with the reinforcements of the Health Reserve deployed on the ground to assist them in their actions (disinfection of homes, vaccination, screening, active search for cases).