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2024 Olympics: dengue, whooping cough, STDs, a risk of epidemic this summer?

undefined undefined 12 juillet 2024 undefined 18h00

The Editor

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As thousands of people are currently on their way to the French capital to attend the Olympics, health authorities are on high alert. And for good reason, as the past few weeks have seen a resurgence of cases of whooping cough or Covid, they fear the worst...

What if the arrival of millions of tourists, thousands of athletes, and hundreds of journalists resulted in a drastic increase in infectious diseases? This somewhat pessimistic view is actually what Santé Public France is preparing for, closely monitoring certain diseases that are easily transmissible and could cause havoc. Here's a quick look at what you might catch this summer if you're out and about in the streets of Paris.


The resurgence of certain diseases

In the sights of the public health agency are several different infections, all of which have been making headlines since the beginning of 2024. The Covid-19, of course, has surprisingly made a comeback in the spotlight since the beginning of the.but the end of summer (and we are talking about the scientific period, not temperatures). But also whooping cough, of which about 80 cases have been reported since January, compared to 0 at the same time last year.

Same goes for dengue, a disease that is transmitted through a bite from a tiger mosquito. A very common variety, which is evolving throughout the Île-de-France region since the beginning of the year, resulting in, for example, the first case of "autochthonous" dengue in the country. Meaning that a person developed the disease without having previously stayed in a high-risk area. More broadly, at the beginning of 2024, 13 times more cases of dengue have been observed in France than throughout the whole of 2023 (a total of 1680 people).

Another case to consider is sexually transmitted diseases and infections. Indeed, according to the government, as stated on the website of the INSERM (National Institute of Health and Medical Research) "It is not excluded that in the coming years, we will observe an increase in cases of STDs, including syphilis, gonorrhea, and other infections."

In the context of exchanges, there may be more improvised and unprotected sexual encounters." In other words, this influx of people is bound to favor meetings... And maybe even more if there's a connection.


Preventive Measures

Fortunately, facing these somewhat catastrophic news, if not terrifying, Santé Public France has taken the lead, and is preparing to bring out the heavy artillery to counter any potential spread of anything. The Emergency Biological Intervention Unit (Cibu) at Pasteur Hospital has been preparing for months to quickly identify unusual diseases for France. And enhanced vigilance will be implemented throughout the medical sector.

A mosquito control operation is also underway in the Greater Paris region where the highest number of dengue cases are reported, in order to address the root of the problem directly. And honestly, setting aside the risks of contagion, we won't complain if there are one or two fewer mosquitoes around.

They are ready to devour us until the blood this summer. Similarly, prevention campaigns are taking place everywhere, trying to limit the spread as much as possible.

Finally, the organization committee of the Olympics has decided to take the bull by the horns, by providing no less than 200,000 male condoms, 20,000 female condoms, and 10,000 "dental dams" within the Olympic Village. At least the athletes will be well protected. For the spectators, there will be informative materials, especially in the form of posters, that will be set up everywhere. Well, with all of that, we can rest assured.