PARIS, August 22 (RIA Novosti) - A case of dengue fever, a disease typically found in tropical areas, was reported in France’s southeastern region of Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, The Connexion newspaper said Friday.
The patient was infected in the region’s Var department, a type of administrative division in France. The infected has not recently visited any parts of the world where dengue fever is typically present, the newspaper reported.
The region’s health authorities have begun combating Asian tiger mosquito, the carrier of the infection, using insecticides. The mosquitoes were first seen in France in 2004, and have since established themselves across the country’s south.
From 50 to 100 million people are infected with dengue fever annually, mainly in tropical and subtropical areas around the world. The infection is transmitted by Aedes mosquitos, or Asian tiger mosquitos, which breed in clean stagnating water. The incubation period of dengue fever lasts for 5-10 days, and symptoms include sudden fever lasting for 5-7 days, headache, severe joint pain and, in some cases, rash. Currently, there is no efficient vaccine or other medication for the disease.
