2023-05-07 11:55:00
Since its arrival in mainland France in 2004, the tiger mosquito has colonized 71 departments. And, bites in summer are not the only source of concern caused by its large presence. The insect, called Aedes albopictus by scientists, can transmit several viruses to humans when it bites them.
Chikungunya: a generally benign disease
Chikungunya is caused by an arbovirus, which has the same name as the disease. Identified in 1952 in Tanzania, it is transmitted by the tiger mosquito as well as Aedes aegypti.
The incubation period of the disease varies from 4 to 7 days. The symptoms are:
- high fever, sudden onset;
- joint aches and pains: these are significant and often require the patient to be hunched over. On the other hand, they generally disappear following a few weeks;
- headaches ;
- nausea ;
- a rash on the trunk and limbs;
- conjunctivitis.
“The evolution is most often favorable following regarding ten days, without sequelae, but chikungunya can also evolve towards a chronic phase marked by persistent joint pain. These can occur in 30 to 40% of patients. and last several months, even years in some patients”noted Public Health France.
Zika: indigenous cases in mainland France in 2019
The Zika virus, transmitted by the tiger mosquito, belongs to the Flaviviridae family. It owes its name to the place of its discovery in 1947: the Zika forest in Uganda. Indigenous cases have been recorded in metropolitan France for the first time in 2019.
People infected with the disease can also transmit it to their partner during unprotected sex. The incubation period is 3 to 12 days.
In 8 out of 10 cases, individuals with Zika are asymptomatic. And if they show signs, they suffer from:
- a skin rash;
- flu syndrome: fever, headache, body aches;
- conjunctivitis with eye pain: the eyes may be red;
- edema in the hands and feet.
Pregnant women living in an area where the virus is circulating should be careful. “In case of Zika virus infection during pregnancy, the infection can be transmitted to the fetus in a few cases (in the order of 20 to 30%) and lead to complications in some fetuses characterized by neurodevelopmental abnormalities. and cerebral intrauterine (including microcephaly, abnormally small size of the skull)”noted Public Health France.
Dengue: 65 autochtonous cases in 2022
Dengue fever, also known as the tropical flu, is caused by four types of viruses from the Flaviviridae family, named DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3 and DENV-4. “Infection by a serotype induces immunity once morest this serotype but not once morest others, so one can be infected several times by different dengue serotypes”warns the French health organization.
The symptoms of the disease appear between 3 to 15 days following contamination. They are flu-like:
- a high fever (40°C) accompanied by intense headaches;
- body aches ;
- pain behind the eyes;
- nausea and vomiting;
- enlarged lymph nodes;
- a skin rash.
If the disease is generally mild, it can in rare cases take a severe form and become hemorrhagic (bleeding from the gums, vomiting with blood).
In 2022, the metropolis recorded 65 autochthonous cases of dengue, more than the cumulative total over the past 10 years. Thus, of the three viruses transmitted by the tiger mosquito, that of dengue fever is the most present in metropolitan France.
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