The French Public Health Agency (Santé publique France -SPF-) has reported the first autochthonous case of dengue. It has been communicated in the Occitanie Region, in the Herault department, and two possible locations, Montpellier or Pérols, are being investigated. The onset of the case’s symptoms was June 17.
On July 8, France reported an autochthonous case of dengue to the ECDC and the public. The patient’s symptoms began on June 17, and the patient had no travel history; the place of infection was in the Occitanie region. The case was reported and confirmed by the French national reference laboratory for arboviruses. The French Public Health Agency has notified that the case has been communicated in the Occitanie Region, in the Herault department, and two possible infection sites are being investigated: Montpellier or Pérols.
ECDC Assessment
This is the first autochthonous case of dengue reported in Europe in 2024. Although this case is early in the season, it is not unusual (in 2022, a case was reported with the earliest symptom onset date of June 12). In 2023, France reported nine outbreaks involving a total of 45 cases of autochthonous dengue virus infections in humans. In 2022, France also reported nine outbreaks with a total of 65 autochthonous dengue cases, the highest number of cases and outbreaks in the EU/EEA in this century to date.
In Europe, the dengue virus is transmitted by the Aedes albopictus mosquito vector, which is established in much of Europe. In the past, local outbreaks of dengue have been reported in France, Italy, Spain, and Croatia.
Actions
Investigations are ongoing, and vector control measures have been implemented. The French public health authorities have taken relevant measures to prevent transmission through substances of human origin.
