PARIS has been fumigated for the first time to stop disease-ridden mosquitoes spreading dengue across the French capital.
Health officials closed roads in two of the city's suburbs and issued stay-at-home alerts to residents, while pest controllers sprayed insecticide across potential breeding hotspots.
It comes after two people contracted the bug abroad, raising concerns the ‘Asian tiger mosquito’ could bite an infected person and start a chain of transmission within in country.
The mozzies – which also carry diseases such as chikungunya and West Nile fever -are becoming more common in France as they spread northward of the tropics.
The number of infections caught locally (rather than abroad) hit a record high in 2022, with at least 65 identified – including a 44-year-old British tourist.
According to the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC), increasingly frequent heatwaves and severe flooding are creating the ideal environments for tiger mosquitoes to thrive.
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The mosquito has also been spotted or become established in 26 European countries, including Spain, Italy and Germany.
"If this continues, we can expect to see more cases and possibly deaths from diseases such as dengue," Dr Andrea Ammon, ECDC director, previously said.
The fumigation in Paris is not France's first, with pest controllers initiating similar operations in the south of the country to get ahead of potential outbreaks.
But mass decontaminating projects are more commonly associated with tropical cities such as central and south America and the Caribbean where the bug is native.
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Each year, some 400 million people are infected with the virus sometimes nicknamed 'breakbone fever' because the severe joint and muscle pain it causes.
Although cases are generally mild, around 500,000 are hospitalised with severe symptoms and between 20,000 and 40,000 people die annually.
What are the symptoms of dengue fever?
DENGUE is an infection spread by mosquitoes.
It's not usually serious and often gets better on it's own.
If you do have symptoms, they usually start four to 10 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.
Some dengue symptoms are similar to flu.
They include:
- a high temperature
- a severe headache
- pain behind your eyes
- muscle and joint pain
- feeling or being sick
- swollen glands
- a blotchy rash made up of flat or slightly raised spots – this can affect large areas of your body
Some people develop a serious form of the bug, but this is rare.
Symptoms of severe dengue include:
- severe tummy pain
- repeatedly being sick
- fast breathing
- bleeding gums or nose
- extreme tiredness (fatigue)
- being unable to relax (restlessness)
- blood in your vomit or poo
Source: NHS
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