La Réunion chikungunya update
Seven cases confirmed
According to data from Public Health France, since August 23, 2024, 7 cases of chikungunya have been confirmed in Reunion:
a cluster of cases (outbreak) with 6 cases identified in Saint-Gilles-Les-Bains;
1 case reported on September 19 at the Hermitage; this case is not linked to the previous ones.
The situation indicates a possible geographical extension of the circulation of the virus.
The case reported in the commune of Saint-Louis, at this stage denied by testing, is the subject of additional biological investigations.
ARS La Réunion acts as soon as a case of chikungunya is reported, without waiting for confirmation testing, to reduce the risk of circulation of the virus.
The vector control service thus intervened in Saint-Gilles-Les-Bains, but also in Saint-Paul, Saint-Louis and Saint-Pierre where suspected cases were reported. The interventions are carried out in the residential area of the sick people and around their workplace.
As soon as a case is suspected, the ARS's intervention and vector control strategy applies to the affected neighborhoods and consists of:
eliminate mosquito nests (larval breeding sites) around the homes of sick people,
carry out treatments (insecticides and/or larvicides),
raise awareness among residents about preventive measures,
distribute repellents to priority audiences,
search for suspected cases around a case's home,
encourage people to consult a doctor if they experience symptoms and to have laboratory tests carried out.
The ARS also raised awareness and transmitted information on the situation to all health professionals and health establishments.
ARS La Réunion encourages the population to protect themselves from mosquito bites, to remove anything that could contain water around the home and to consult a doctor at the first symptoms.