During the 2024 Olympics in Paris, the first case of localized chikungunya transmission has been reported by French Public Health. This indicates that the person was contaminated by a mosquito in the French capital and that they had not recently traveled to any other areas. The information is from the newspaper Ouest France.
The agency said that it was likely that the individual contracted the disease through a bite from an Aedes albopictus tiger mosquito, which is known to carry the virus.
The SPF launched enhanced surveillance of these arboviral diseases in early May 2024, ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. To date, 9 cases of chikungunya have been recorded in France.
According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, climate change has caused an increase in cases of dengue fever and other related diseases in Europe.
For experts, such changes create “more favorable conditions for the spread of invasive mosquitoes in previously spared areas.”
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Chikungunya
Chikungunya is an arbovirus transmitted by the bite of infected females of the Aedes genus. The virus can also cause neuroinvasive disease, which is characterized by neurological disorders such as encephalitis, myelitis, meningoencephalitis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, cerebellar syndrome, paresis, paralysis, and neuropathies.
Symptoms include fever and joint pain that may appear suddenly. Muscle pain, headache, fatigue, and rash may also occur.
According to the source, treatment is based on symptoms. To date, there is no specific antiviral treatment for the disease.
It is necessary to encourage oral rehydration of patients, and the choice of medications should be made after evaluating the patient’s clinical condition, with the application of pain scales appropriate for each age and stage of the disease. In cases of significant musculoskeletal impairment, and under medical evaluation according to each case, it may be physiotherapy is recommended.
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