DENGUE, ZIKA VIRUSES – AFRICA: MALI (BAMAKO) EPIDEMIC
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: Sat 6 Jan 2024
Source: Mali Web [in French, trans., edited]
https://www.maliweb.net/sante/dengue-et-fievre-zika-les-moustiques-en-cause-3048809.html
We are in the midst of an epidemic of dengue and Zika fever in Mali.
The Ministry of Health and Social Development has activated the
Department of Public Health Emergency Operations (DSP), which, through
the Risk Communication and Community Engagement Unit (Crec), has
launched a community awareness campaign in the 6 municipalities of
Bamako.
For several days, the officials of the Information, Sensitization, and
Communication Unit (Crec) traversed the 6 municipalities of Bamako to
inform and raise awareness about dengue and Zika fever. This took
place during the last week of the year 2023 in Bamako. Overall, the
message emphasized the need to conquer mosquitoes to overcome dengue
and Zika fever.
In Commune I, at the headquarters of the Social Development Services
Directorate, Mrs. Coulibaly Mah Diéfaga and a strong delegation faced
community leaders for a series of information and sensitization
sessions on dengue and Zika fever. She announced that since last
September [2023], Mali has recorded cases of dengue, and the number of
cases continues to rise. Today, we are in an epidemic period, and a
behavioral change is necessary, she pointed out.
Dengue and Zika fever are both transmitted by the mosquito Aedes
aegypti, commonly known as “Réal sossoni” or “Mourountini” in this
context.
“These mosquitoes are present in the environment and bite people even
during the day. It is essential to clean the environment,” advised the
delegation leader. Stagnant water, sewage, and dirty water that remain
in our surroundings are breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Cleaning is
crucial, and this requires awareness and change.
In the coming days, in addition to Bamako, other regions will be
targeted. Currently, all regions are affected except for the northern
regions. Mrs. Coulibaly strongly advocated for sanitation.
“Let’s clean our yards and surroundings. Let’s stop certain practices
to defeat dengue and Zika fever,” she insisted.
Both diseases share the same transmission vector — mosquitoes — and
can lead to complications. Zika fever can cause congenital
malformations in the child if the pregnant mother is infected, and
severe forms of dengue can be fatal, according to health officials.