Dengue alert sparks panic in Rodrigues, 4 cases reported

Rodrigues is facing a Dengue fever outbreak with four confirmed cases.

Three new cases have been reported and confirmed in the past two days, two of which are from the same geographical area as the initial infected person.

The Health Commissioner, Nicolas Volbert, called for enhanced vigilance.

Dengue (break-bone fever) is a viral infection that spreads rapidly through the bite of an infected Aedes species (Ae.aegypti or Ae. albopictus) mosquito.

Most people who get dengue won’t have symptoms. But for those that do, the most common symptoms are high fever, headache, body aches, nausea and rash. Most will also get better in 1–2 weeks. Some people develop severe dengue and need care in a hospital.

In severe cases, dengue can be fatal.

Dengue is treated with pain medicine as there is no specific treatment currently.

To strengthen precautionary measures, a team from the Ministry of Health has been rushed to assist Rodrigues’ health authorities. 

A meeting of the High Powered Committee is also planned to address the issue.

While the disease is spreading in the southeast villages of Rodrigues, Volbert assured that authorities are working diligently to stop the contagion.

“The authorities will do everything in their power and work tirelessly to halt the spread of this contagious and potentially deadly disease,” he said.

Source: Le Mauricien, WHO