Dengue outbreak in New Caledonia

[Gert van der Hoek]

Radio New Zealand International

New Caledonia closely monitoring latest dengue outbreak

Posted at 07:42 on 24 April, 2007 UTC

Health authorities in New Caledonia are closely monitoring an upsurge of dengue fever cases that have been detected in the outskirts of the capital Noumea.

Since the beginning of April, four new cases have been confirmed, mainly in the Noumea suburb of Magenta where the municipality has now stepped up dusk spraying of insecticides.

The Noumea town council has also reinforced its prevention campaign to encourage residents to clean up any potential mosquito larvae breeding sites.

In 2003 a dengue fever epidemic in New Caledonia killed as many as 20 people.

The territorial health services head Jean-Paul Grangeon says he fears the confirmed cases may be just the tip of the iceberg and signal a fully-fledged epidemic.

Heavy rains throughout the region in the past several months have caused an upsurge in water-related diseases such as dengue and leptospirosis while Fiji has also been struggling with a typhoid outbreak.

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[Marcheurderue]

Re: Dengue outbreak in New Caledonia

[SIZE="4"]Dengue : des risques de propagation dans le Nord[/SIZE]​

http://www.chikungunya.net/

Un cinquième cas de dengue a été confirmé hier concernant un voyageur originaire de Tahiti. Cette personne ayant effectué des déplacements dans le Nord, des risques de propagation du virus sont fortement envisageables.​

De récentes analyses de sang ont confirmé que le cinquième cas suspect était bien porteur du virus de la dengue. Il s’agit d’un homme originaire de Tahiti, qui était en voyage en Calédonie pour des raisons professionnelles.

Lors de sa présence sur le territoire, la semaine dernière, l’homme a séjourné dans le secteur de l’Anse-Vata (d’où les épandages réalisés samedi et lundi matin), et effectué plusieurs déplacements dans des communes du Nord, dont Koumac et Koné.

La Direction des affaires sanitaires et sociales craint donc que le virus ne se propage également en Brousse. Un scénario tout à fait envisageable si, au cours de cette semaine, l’homme s’est fait piquer par un Aedes aegypti, le moustique vecteur de la dengue, et que ce même moustique s’est attaqué à une autre personne.

Fausse alerte à Dumbéa

Sur les cinq cas recensés, c’est le deuxième à avoir séjourné à Tahiti, avant de se rendre en Calédonie, précise la DASS. Les consignes concernant les passagers en provenance de Polynésie française vont donc être renforcées. « Nous invitons également ces personnes à se protéger en utilisant des produits répulsifs, et à consulter un médecin dès la moindre fièvre », insiste Jean-Paul Grangeon, le responsable du service d’action sanitaire de la DASS.

A Nouméa, le service municipal d’hygiène est également sur le qui-vive pour empêcher que le foyer épidémique identifié aux Portes-de-Fer ne s’élargisse davantage. Un épandage est prévu ce matin dans le secteur du Haut-Magenta. Quant à la ville de Dumbéa, où l’on suspectait un cas au niveau du squat de la Quarantaine, les analyses ont finalement révélé qu’il s’agissait d’une fausse alerte.

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Dengue outbreak in New Caledonia

machine translation of post # 2:

Dengue: risks of propagation in North

http://www.chikungunya.net/

A fifth case of dengue was confirmed yesterday concerning a traveller originating in Tahiti. This person having carried out displacements in North, of the risks of propagation of the virus are strongly possible.

Recent blood tests confirmed that the fifth suspect case was quite carrying the virus of the dengue. It is about a man originating in Tahiti, which was on a journey in Calédonie for professional reasons.

At the time of his presence on the territory, last week, the man remained in the sector of the Handle-Vata (from where spreadings carried out Saturday and Monday morning), and carried out several displacements in communes of the North, of which Koumac and Koné.

The Management of the medical and social businesses thus fears that the virus is also not propagated in Bush. A completely possible scenario if, during this week, the man were made prick by Aedes aegypti, the mosquito vector of the dengue, and that this same mosquito attacked another person.

False alarm with Dumbéa

On the five listed cases, it is the second to have remained in Tahiti, before going in Calédonie, specifies the DASS.

The instructions concerning the passengers coming from French Polynésie thus will be reinforced. “We also invite these people to protect ourselves by using repulsive products, and to consult a doctor as of the least fever”, insists Jean-Paul Grangeon, the person in charge for the service of medical action of the DASS.

In Noumea, the municipal service of hygiene is also on the alert to prevent that the epidemic hearth identified with Door-of-Iron does not widen more. A spreading is envisaged this morning in the sector of the High-Magenta.

As for the town of Dumbéa, where one suspectait a case on the level of the squat of Forty, the analyses finally revealed that it was about false alarm.

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Dengue outbreak in New Caledonia

New Caledonia health officials hopeful latest dengue threat is now past

Posted at 02:33 on 26 April, 2007 UTC

Health authorities in New Caledonia are continuing to monitor an increase in dengue fever cases in the territory, but believe the situation is under control.

Earlier this month, five cases were confirmed in the outskirts of Noumea and officials have reinforced their prevention campaigns, including spraying insecticides and cleaning up potential larvae breeding sites.

The territorial health services head, Dr Jean-Paul Grangeon, says health officials have not identified any new cases and are confident that the worst is over.

?We are not sure now that we are out of the beginning of an oubreak, but we are expecting there won?t be more than those five cases. We have informed the population, and the doctors are very aware of it. [So we believe] we can catch most of the dengue cases.?

Dr Grangeon says the heavy downpour over the past several months is the main reason for the outbreak.

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