Reunion: Chikungunya classified as a 'medium-intensity epidemic', Nearly 3,000 additional cases reported

In a follow-up on the chikungunya epidemic on the island of Reunion, health authorities says the region has moved to level 4 of the ORSEC plan, "medium-intensity epidemic" as the epidemic continues to spread.

In the past seven days, Reunion officials reported an additional 2,888 locally transmitted cases, bringing the outbreak total to 8,600 cases since the beginning of the year.

The southern municipalities are the most affected by the virus, particularly Le Tampon. To date, all cities are affected by the epidemic.

Although there is no current tension in the hospital environment, 77 patients were admitted to the emergency room between March 3 and 9. Since August 2024, 24 people have been hospitalized, including three severe cases.

Faced with the increase and spread of cases across the country, the ARS vector control service is adapting its system to optimize the effectiveness of interventions. A strategy for prioritizing actions has been implemented, based on three levels of intervention:

• Priority 1 : Targeted interventions around isolated cases
  Actions implemented around each identified case aimed at rapidly reducing the risk of transmission by eliminating breeding sites.

• Priority 2 : Interventions around cluster cases or emerging outbreaks
  Actions deployed at the level of the affected neighborhood to limit the spread and prevent the formation of active outbreaks.

• Priority 3 : interventions within active outbreaks
  Actions reinforced by increased mobilization of local actors (municipalities, inter-municipalities and associations) in conjunction with the ARS allowing the implementation of awareness-raising and public health operations.

With the move to level 4 of the ORSEC system on March 14, the involvement of municipalities and inter-municipalities is essential to support treatment and awareness-raising actions.

Chikungunya is a disease transmitted to humans through mosquito bites. In Réunion, the tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, is the main vector.

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Symptoms may include: Fever associated or not with headaches, joint and/or muscle pain, nausea / vomiting, red patches or bumps on the skin, severe fatigue and irritations , eye pain, conjunctivitis

Some forms of chikungunya can be serious, leading to hospitalizations and, more rarely, death.

Once a person has contracted the chikungunya virus, and after recovery, they develop lasting immunity against future infections. They therefore cannot contract the virus a second time .

In some patients, rheumatological-type manifestations persist for several months or even years, although the virus is no longer present in the body.

To confirm a diagnosis of chikungunya , the patient must consult their doctor who will prescribe tests to be carried out by a medical biology laboratory. Only this result can confirm or deny positivity for the disease.