2023-08-28 06:25:04
A few cases have been detected but New Caledonia has not experienced a dengue epidemic for four years, announce the coordinators of the World Mosquito Program. After Nouméa, Mont-Dore and Dumbéa, they will release mosquitoes carrying the Wolbachia bacterium in Païta to extend the network.
For the World Mosquito Program, the Institut Pasteur, the government of New Caledonia and the University of Monash (in Australia), the releases of mosquitoes carrying the Wolbachia bacterium in Noumea, Dumbéa and Mont-Dore have been a success. The territory has not experienced a dengue fever epidemic for four years, the coordinators of the operation announced on Monday.
They are going to extend it to Païta. The scouting has started. The first releases are scheduled for mid-November. “We need people living in the municipality to volunteer to host mosquito traps at home“, explains Nadège Rossi, project manager.
As in Dumbéa and Mont-Dore, pots will be placed every 50 m in the vegetation. Inside, mosquito eggs carrying Wolbachia, a bacterium known to reduce the ability of Aedes aegypti transmit dengue, Zika and chikungunya viruses to humans.
After 10 to 15 days, the adults will escape from these pots. As they reproduce, they will pass the bacteria. In May, 89% of mosquitoes captured in Noumea were carriers; in April, 77% were in Dumbéa and 71% in Mont-Dore.
“In the past, dengue fever epidemics generally broke out in the municipalities of Greater Noumea before gaining momentum in other municipalities in the territory or towards the islands.“, recalls the press release. This is why the municipalities of Greater Nouméa were targeted first.
More “the risk of an epidemic persists“, warns the World Mosquito Program.”It is therefore important that everyone remains vigilant, especially during the two weeks following a return from a trip.“The absence of a dengue fever epidemic was also favored by the closure of borders during the health crisis, specify the scientists.
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