Mayotte - Malaria 2025-2026

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Indigenous cases of malaria in Mayotte for the first time in five years

August 12, 2025

Mamoudzou, August 12, 2025 (AFP) – Twelve indigenous cases of malaria have been detected in Mayotte since the beginning of the year, including ten in July, a first in five years, the regional branch of Public Health France (SpF) announced on Tuesday.

"For the first time since July 2020, twelve cases of locally acquired malaria were recorded in Mayotte: one in February, one in June and ten in July 2025," SpF indicates in its regional epidemiological bulletin.

A total of 66 cases of malaria have been reported in the small French archipelago in the Indian Ocean, with the majority of imported cases coming from neighboring Comoros. Twenty-six people have been hospitalized and five have been admitted to intensive care. "No deaths have been recorded," SpF said.

"For the past five years, we have only recorded imported cases, mainly from the Comoros but also from Madagascar and continental African countries (...). But the increase in the number of imported cases has encouraged the spread of the disease locally," Youssouf Hassani, the regional delegate of Public Health France, explained to AFP.

"These figures show that there is a risk of the disease being reintroduced. We must especially pay attention to the epidemic outbreak in the Comoros," he added, while refusing to talk about a "resurgence" of the epidemic in Mayotte.

In 2024, 119 imported cases were recorded in Mayotte, compared to 38 in 2023.

The incidence of indigenous malaria cases has steadily declined in Mayotte since the early 2000s, from nearly 2,000 reported cases in 2002 to just two in 2020, and then none until this year. In 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified Mayotte as a "territory in the malaria elimination phase."

Malaria was also almost eradicated in the Comoros between 2010 and 2016, but this country, whose nearest island (Anjouan) is only 70 km from Mayotte, has faced a resurgence of the disease in recent years, even if the number of cases remains far from the 103,600 recorded in 2010.

https://marine-oceans.com/actualites/des-cas-autochtones-de-paludisme-a-mayotte-pour-la-premiere-fois-en-cinq-ans/

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Malaria: 156 cases recorded in the territory since the beginning of the year, according to the Mayotte Regional Health Agency (ARS).

Mathilde HANGARD
May 13, 2026

...
The department of Mayotte has been committed to a malaria elimination strategy since 2014. However, long dominated by imported cases, without significant local transmission documented for several years, the island is now facing a more than worrying trend.

In its bulletin of May 7, 2026, Public Health France reported 32 cases of malaria during the week of April 27 to May 3, a significant proportion of which were suspected of being locally acquired. When contacted by our newsroom on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, the Mayotte Regional Health Agency (ARS Mayotte) revised the total number of malaria cases recorded since the beginning of the year to 156.

An unprecedented spike in cases

In its latest epidemiological bulletin, Public Health France Mayotte reports "a significant resurgence of malaria cases." This week alone has seen the highest number of cases since last January, with 32 reported cases.

Among them, four are imported. But the situation is mainly marked by the proportion of cases without an identified travel link: "Seventeen cases are suspected of being acquired locally, while the status of the remaining 12 cases remains undetermined to date ," specifies Public Health France.

In total, the Mayotte Regional Health Agency (ARS) reports that "156 cases of malaria have been biologically confirmed" in the territory of Mayotte since the beginning of 2026. The epidemiological bulletin from Public Health France also recalls that 29 patients required hospitalization.

What is most striking is the recurrence of suspected local cases. For several weeks now, they have been appearing regularly in areas where they had been absent for years. Health authorities indicate that this trend has been developing gradually since March, with a continuous increase until the end of April. "An increase in malaria cases is currently being observed in Mayotte ," confirms the Mayotte Regional Health Agency (ARS Mayotte).

Chirongui, case concentration area

The situation is most pronounced in the south of the island. "Investigations conducted by the Regional Health Agency highlight a concentration of cases in three sectors: Dembéni, Chirongui and Bandrélé ," indicates the ARS Mayotte.

Of the 32 cases recorded during the week of April 27 to May 3, "20 were identified in the municipality of Chirongui, 17 of which are suspected of being locally acquired ," reports SpF-Mayotte. Epidemiologists consider this concentration significant because it "suggests the existence of a potential cluster of local transmission."

Locally, the population is discovering or rediscovering the disease. In Chirongui, a resident and mother takes a more measured view: "Everyone's talking about malaria, but so far I haven't been sick, nor have my husband or children." But other residents mention recent cases. An elderly woman living in the town recounts: "I was sick, yes. I don't know if it was malaria, but it was like the flu." The symptoms she describes are similar to those identified by the authorities: fever, aches and pains, and extreme fatigue.

In several other villages in the south of the island, such as Hagnoundrou and Kani-Kéli, some residents say they may have been affected in recent days, even if the diagnosis is not always formally established by a doctor.

The situation in Mayotte is part of a sensitive regional health context. Since 2024, the increase in malaria cases in the Comoros has led to more imported cases in Mayotte. This regional circulation of the parasite is believed to have played a role in the current situation.

Public Health France points out that after five years without local transmission, the reappearance of autochthonous cases in 2025 represents a break from a situation that was thought to be settled. In 2026, this trend continued with "27 suspected locally acquired cases ," mainly concentrated in the southwest and southeast, such as in Chirongui and Bandrélé.

Health experts remain cautious about how the situation is evolving. In its bulletin, Public Health France emphasizes a key point: "The risk of reintroduction remains constant ," due to the presence of vector mosquitoes such as Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles funestus in the department.

In this context, the response strategy is based on classic public health measures: rapid consultation in case of suggestive symptoms, strengthening the screening of suspected cases and vector control interventions in the areas concerned, including the search for and destruction of larval breeding sites.

But epidemiologists also highlight a growing difficulty as the health situation evolves: that of precisely distinguishing between imported cases and those acquired locally. The line has become slightly more blurred, as regional circulation of the parasite and the presence of vectors in Mayotte make transmission chains more difficult to trace.

Mathilde Hangard

https://lejournaldemayotte.yt/2026/05/13/paludisme-156-cas-recenses-sur-le-territoire-depuis-le-debut-de-lannee-indique-lars-mayotte/

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Malaria: the resurgence of cases is worrying in the south of the island

According to the latest bulletin from Public Health France, 15 new cases were recorded between May 25 and 31. This increase confirms the resurgence observed for several weeks, with local transmission now outnumbering imported cases. The municipalities in the south of the island are particularly affected, such as Dembéni, which has become one of the main hotspots of infection.

By Taslimah Abdou Hamza
Published on June 8, 2026 at 11:32 AM

Malaria is gaining ground in Mayotte. Since the beginning of the year, 212 cases of malaria have been recorded on the island. While the first cases were mostly contracted on neighboring islands, the situation is now evolving with an increase in local transmission. Several municipalities have become veritable hotspots of infection, such as Dembéni.

Of the 15 new cases recorded in week 22, nine are in this municipality. This situation is causing concern among the residents of Dembéni.

“ I’m scared because it’s a disease that affects so many people. The authorities must do what’s necessary to prevent it from spreading, ” says this resident of Dembéni. “ I was sick, I was dizzy. When I went to the hospital, they didn’t tell me it was malaria, but I did have all the symptoms, ” she recounts.

Local infections are increasing rapidly.

Since February, locally acquired infections have been gradually increasing, to the point of exceeding the number of imported cases in some weeks. This is a situation Mayotte had not experienced for several years.

“Since the beginning of the year, we have observed a resurgence in malaria cases, which intensified towards the end of April. To date, 212 cases have been recorded in the country, 129 of which were imported. This year is different from previous years, as the number of cases has practically doubled compared to last year. The last three to four weeks have caused some concern given the evolving situation. However, since last week, the trend has been downward. The situation remains manageable thanks to the actions taken by the Regional Health Agency (ARS) as part of vector control efforts.”
Bénédicte Nganga-Kifoula, epidemiologist

The expert also points out that the transmission hotspots have shifted over the years.

“ Malaria has been present in Mayotte for a long time. Historically, the main outbreaks were located in the north. After several years of low circulation, new outbreaks appeared in the south in 2025. This year again, we continue to identify suspected cases of having been acquired locally in these same municipalities, where both the mosquito vector and significant migratory flows are present. ”

Among the municipalities most affected since the beginning of the year are Chirongui and Mamoudzou, which together account for 112 of the 212 recorded cases. Regarding suspected locally acquired infections, Chirongui remains the main cluster with 33 cases, followed by Dembéni and Bandrélé, each with 12.

Despite a slight slowdown observed in recent days, health authorities remain vigilant in the face of this persistent circulation of the parasite in several municipalities in the south of Mayotte.

By Taslimah Abdou Hamza

https://la1ere.franceinfo.fr/mayotte/paludisme-la-recrudescence-des-cas-inquiete-dans-le-sud-de-l-ile-1708567.html