When people visit romantic Paris this summer, the last thing they want to think about is the possibility of contracting dengue fever.
The mosquito-borne disease has been on the rise in France for months amid warmer temperatures.
The timing is inopportune – it’s a big summer for the country as it hosts the Olympic Games at the end of July, which promise to attract millions of visitors in addition to the usual tourist crowds.
So France criticized its “dengue detectives.” They will track outbreaks of the disease, look for mosquito eggs and help contain the spread of the virus in French cities.
“It is true that the Olympic Games are a critical moment,” said Cecile Somarriba, director of health and safety monitoring at the Greater Paris Regional Health Agency (ARS). Telegraph. “We are prioritizing surveillance in areas where large gatherings will take place. This is where the risk of transmission is highest.”
ARS has launched a campaign to monitor mosquito populations in Paris and surrounding suburbs, installing 526 nest traps that will be sent out for analysis every month.
The so-called detectives are cracking down on Aedes albopictusalso known as the Asian tiger mosquito, which thrives in the summer conditions of cities like Paris – a combination of hot and humid weather with lots of people coming and going.
The Olympic Games in Paris are just around the corner and they are expected to host more than 15 million visitorsAuthorities are tightening controls in “fan zones” where visitors from around the world can gather, such as at airports.
Symptoms of dengue include high fever, headaches and nausea. Severe infections can be fatal, although they are rare if detected early.
The heightened alarm over dengue cases comes just months after France faced a massive bedbug infestation on Paris’ public transport networks. At the time, the country was preparing to host the Rugby World Cup, putting further pressure on French transport authorities to get rid of the pests as quickly as possible.
Last year data analytics Airfinity company warned of a 50-fold increase in local transmission of dengue fever in France by 2030 due to global warming.
The threat of vector-borne diseases such as dengue fever has increased over the past few months, reaching an all-time high. end of April.
Earlier this year, French health officials warned of the risk of imported dengue cases as cases in America swollen.
While it is difficult to completely eradicate the virus given the huge influx of visitors, there are ways to control the spread.
To monitor the situation, health authorities have set up a website and are calling hotels, schools and other places to report and identify possible outbreaks at an early stage. Some Olympic venues install traps that emit human odor to attract mosquitoes.
Parisians are also advised to avoid allowing stagnant water to accumulate in their gardens to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.