The cholera epidemic in Mayotte caused the first death, a three-year-old child, in the commune of Koungou, the prefecture and the Regional Health Agency announced on Wednesday. Since mid-March, 58 cases of cholera have been recorded by the health authorities of Mayotte (Photo
“A first child died today,” they wrote in a joint press release. “The child lived in the Koungou district where several cases of cholera had been identified in recent weeks.”
This first fatal case comes on the eve of the visit to Mayotte by Minister of Health Frédéric Valletoux, planned for several days.
The first case of cholera in Mayotte was detected in mid-March. It was a woman who arrived from the Comoros, where the epidemic is flaring with more than 4,000 cases including 98 deaths according to the latest official report.
Read also: A first case of cholera detected in Mayotte
In Mayotte, the first “native” cases, diagnosed in patients who had not left the archipelago, appeared at the end of April.
Cholera, a bacterial disease that can cause acute diarrhea and lead to death from dehydration within one to three days, is transmitted through contaminated water or food. There are effective vaccines and treatments.
Since mid-March, 58 cases of cholera have been recorded by the Mahorese authorities, including six active cases at the last report dated May 6.
A protocol drawn up in February to prevent the spread of the disease provides for the disinfection of the patient’s home, the identification and treatment of contact cases and “ring” vaccination, gradually expanding the area concerned around the patient’s home. suffering from cholera.
– Reinforced vigilance in Reunion –
The epidemic in Mayotte and the Comoros follows the resurgence of cholera in East Africa since 2021.
As a result of climate change and the increase in conflicts, the number of cholera cases is currently exploding around the world, underlines the World Health Organization (WHO).
Reported cases (only a portion of proven cases) more than doubled between 2021 and 2022 to reach 473,000, then climbed further to more than 700,000 in 2023.
In Reunion, the epidemic risk is extremely low, says the Regional Health Agency. However, the ARS La Réunion has put in place increased vigilance among travelers coming from the area, and health actors and professionals.
www.imazpress.com with AFP
News from Reunion, Mayotte, Cholera
