Sero-epidemiology of Priority Arboviruses in French Guiana

Overview

Dengue is an important public health problem despite the efforts of local health authorities to mitigate the impact of epidemics and the epidemiology of dengue evolved from an endemo-epidemic to a hyper-endemic state. In late 2013, the first local transmission of chikungunya virus in the Americas was identified in Caribbean countries and territories including French Guiana. Rapidly, more than 16,000 suspected local Health authorities had reported cases. In May 2015, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an alert regarding the first confirmed Zika virus infections in Brazil. The emergence of Zika virus in South America led to a rapid spread throughout South and Central America, reaching French Guiana in December 2015. With the increasing frequency of epidemics related to arbovirus and the resulting health, social, and economic impacts of dengue, the surveillance of arbovirus have become social, political, and public health challenges that require specific and non-available immune status information.

French Guiana is a 250,000 inhabitant's French overseas department located in South America, the epidemiology of arboviruses has recently evolved and marked by important outbreaks. Dengue remains an important public health problem despite the efforts of local health authorities to mitigate the impact of epidemics and the epidemiology of dengue evolved from an endemo-epidemic to a hyper-endemic state. In late 2013, the first local transmission of chikungunya virus in the Americas was identified in Caribbean countries and territories including French Guiana. Rapidly, more than 16,000 suspected local Health authorities had reported cases. In May 2015, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an alert regarding the first confirmed Zika virus infections in Brazil. The emergence of Zika virus in South America led to a rapid spread throughout South and Central America, reaching French Guiana in December 2015. With the increasing frequency of epidemics related to arbovirus and the resulting health, social, and economic impacts of dengue, the surveillance of arbovirus have become social, political, and public health challenges that require specific and non-available immune status information.