chikungunya

[Rose]

I've read all the french papers in mauritius on this disease. But can anyone in mauritius tell us what the true extent of the outbreak is? Any news of outbreaks elsewhere in mauritius (apart from mahebourg).

thanks
Rosa

[Dennis Luchmun England]

Returned from Mauritius on the 13th Feb.2006.after a weekend there.
Yes, there appears to be a spread of Chikungunya.
Cases in Triolet.

[david webber]

To Denis Lunchmun

Hi there. I have been reading various articles about chickungunyu fever as we ( 2 adults & 3 children ) are due to go for a 2 week holiday there on 26th march !

how safe or dangerous is it for tourists ?

much appreciate your opinion

[david webber]

to denis lunchmun

david webber is at [e-mail]

hope you get this

David webber

[ihateemos]

Spraying insecticide over the island

Health minister Satish Faugoo has said that there was no health risk from chikungunya, the viral disease that is affecting tens of thousands of people in La Réunion and about 700 in Mauritius, particularly in Mahebourg in the south of the island.

“We have recorded some isolated cases that we are able to control. There is no need for the population to panic”, he said. Faugoo added nobody had died from this disease.

Several regions of the island have been disinfected with insecticides to eliminate mosquitoes that carry this disease. People have also been asked to clear stagnant water in their yards and on the roofs of their houses.

Chickungunya is a disease that gives high fever and severe muscular and joint pain. It takes several weeks or months to reach full recovery. Chickungunya is not deadly but it can kill those who are fragile, particularly children and the elderly, as is the case presently in La Réunion where at least 50,000 people have been infected with this virus since last year. As of late, ten people have died from the disease.

Officials from the Ministry of Health said the virus had been brought over from someone travelling from or coming from La Réunion, it was also being carried by mosquitoes.

Thousands of people travel between the two islands regularly. In 2005, about 3,500 suspected cases were registered in Mauritius.

The population has been asked to clear all water surfaces, track mosquitoes and to take all the necessary precautions so as not to get biten by them.

[Arnie Berman]

ihateemos wrote:

Spraying insecticide over the island

Health minister Satish Faugoo has said that there was no health risk from chikungunya, the viral disease that is affecting tens of thousands of people in La Réunion and about 700 in Mauritius, particularly in Mahebourg in the south of the island.

“We have recorded some isolated cases that we are able to control. There is no need for the population to panic”, he said. Faugoo added nobody had died from this disease.

Several regions of the island have been disinfected with insecticides to eliminate mosquitoes that carry this disease. People have also been asked to clear stagnant water in their yards and on the roofs of their houses.

Chickungunya is a disease that gives high fever and severe muscular and joint pain. It takes several weeks or months to reach full recovery. Chickungunya is not deadly but it can kill those who are fragile, particularly children and the elderly, as is the case presently in La Réunion where at least 50,000 people have been infected with this virus since last year. As of late, ten people have died from the disease.

Officials from the Ministry of Health said the virus had been brought over from someone travelling from or coming from La Réunion, it was also being carried by mosquitoes.

Thousands of people travel between the two islands regularly. In 2005, about 3,500 suspected cases were registered in Mauritius.

The population has been asked to clear all water surfaces, track mosquitoes and to take all the necessary precautions so as not to get biten by them.

My name is Arnie Berman cell 0833473022 [e-mail] I have been in the south of Mauritius in December 2005. I have been suffering with pains in my muscles and burning sensation along my bones. My joints have been painful. Who can I contact to find out if I have this problem related to this mosquito I live in Johannesburg South Africa. Been to 2 Nurologists they cant help me Please help

[Arnaud]

29th April 2006..every poeple in mauritius is ill with chikunguya
in a house 3/4 is ill...me its the 2 time i got it...
its very painfull
do not come in mu until it finish ...waitin winter..
the cold can kill mosquitos ..

[Arnaud]

all the record in mauritius is false..
all people is having chikunguya.. they are telleing that only for tourist to come ..
me living at port louis..
and everywhere ..all my friend..familly is ill..me too
very very painfull

[Aadil]

So much contradictory information. What's the truth really?

I'm planning to go to the North Western Part of Mauritius on my honeymoon. Is it wise to go?

3000 Cases out of 1.2 million population doesn't seem like a lot.

[Louis-Philippe Koenig]

Aadil wrote:

So much contradictory information. What's the truth really?
I'm planning to go to the North Western Part of Mauritius on my honeymoon. Is it wise to go?
3000 Cases out of 1.2 million population doesn't seem like a lot.

For God sake, don't listen to these people, especially the one who can't even write proper English... I am in constant contact (at least 3 times a week) with friends and family in Mauritius... It's NOT as bad as people are saying. Do you believe for one instance, that the Mauritian Government would put the well-being of tourists in jeopardy? Tourism is so important to Mauritius, their is no way they would lie. There are stupid people out there, saying ridiculous things about this flue type thing... Don't believe everything you read, especially from this guy.

[Angela]

Hi there

I'm interested to know if you did travel to Mauritius as we are planning to go in July but our daughter will only be 6 months old and we are now worrying about this virus.

Appreciate any info you may have.

[Louis-Philippe]

Angela wrote:

Hi there
I'm interested to know if you did travel to Mauritius as we are planning to go in July but our daughter will only be 6 months old and we are now worrying about this virus.
Appreciate any info you may have.

Hi Angela, yes I was in Mauritius about 7 months ago, yes I did hear about the virus and I didn't catch it. I was staying in a place called Black River; it is renowned for its mosquitoes. I will get information for you from the source. I'm calling home this evening and will reply either this afternoon or tomorrow. Login in a couple of days.

[sonia Cano]

Arnaud wrote:

29th April 2006..every poeple in mauritius is ill with chikunguya
in a house 3/4 is ill...me its the 2 time i got it...
its very painfull
do not come in mu until it finish ...waitin winter..
the cold can kill mosquitos ..

Do you think it is not safe to go in July, the first week? Where would you recommend me to stay?? I was thinking to go t the north east area is that better or no?
Thanks for your help

[Angela]

Thanks for your reply. My husband and I are undecided still whether or not to take our baby. We are having a big family reunion there with family from Australia, America and the UK. We both feel it is the emotional tie that is stopping us from just definitely saying "no, we won't take our daughter" as we know if it was just another holiday elsewhere with no family reunion, we probably would say no straightaway. We know we have to make this decision ourselves and are worried that if we do take her we will just worry about her constantly. Anyone else heard more recent news? I know it will be winter there soon and there will be less mosquitos and we could take all the obvious precautions however we are still concerned......

[sonia Cano]

I have to say that I have talked with a friend who is living in the north east in Mauritius and getting married there and she told me it is nothing to worry about as the winter is coming> however I am still a bit concern about this. That is the reason I would like to know the truth of the issue. If someone have been in Mauritius recently I would love to know how is the situation anyway.
Thanks in advance for your help

[Angela]

Hi Sonia

I've been looking at various websites re this virus. This link may be useful to you. http://mauritius.maurisun.com/modules.php...

Angela

[John Monteiro]

My wife & children went back home to visit relatives in April and they managed to catch it. It's an odd virus, passed on via mosquito bite. Firstly, two immediate family members in the household caught it, and one child. A few days went passed and then another two members of the family caught it. We do not know if the virus was passed through the illness it caused (coughing, high temperatures, diarrohea and vomiting also) or if it was continually through bites only.

My wife and one child were the two last people to catch it, two weeks after the first outbreak in the family and long after the others were feeling well again. Very strange indeed, some people had this for one week, others for two or three weeks, we expected everyone to catch it, my wife's sister in law is pregnant and at over 7 months pregnant, we were afraid something awful would happen if she caught it and the child could be infected.

But of everyone who was vunerable, she did not catch it. But it has now subsided a little now, but of course much depends on the households, to thrown away water from buckets, old car tyres, old tins and other containers that gather in gardens and waste tips. So many people wash on the stone outside, with the tap outside, dripping into cans, buckets and water left to go stagnant, full of mosquito lavae waiting to develop into adults. Some mosquitos but not all mosquitos will be partially eradicated in areas where its normally drier if people were more aware of the dangers.

But this will never happen unless or until the local and central goverment educates the population, to fill in old stagnant ponds and puddles, remove containers or tip them upside down. If EVERYONE was on the lookout for trouble areas, much more could be done, to decline the mosquito, but it will never be eradicated totally.

At least we do not suffer from the deadlier malaria which inhabits the African continent! And only the pregnant female mosquitos need the blood of mammals and humans to help their eggs develop! The male mosquito is a vegetarian! Yes, the female is deadlier than the male!

[John Monteiro]

I am in Reading actually, I have no idea where Stratfield Saye is in the UK, so excuse me for this correction of my locality. I was also going to say, my wife informs me that she may have been bitten (as did all the family) when they visited CLUNY, notorious for moquitos amongst the sugar cane and it is a bit more "tropical" around there and around Mahebourg, all within the same areas where the moquitos are more frequent, the family lives in Rose-Hill and there were several other people with it, friends of relatives who did not travel to the south but it may be that some mosquitos got blown over, over a period of 2 to 6 weeks.

[Alf]

Our (adult)family returned to Australia two weeks ago having spent 9 weeks in Trou aux Biches. Two of us had Chikungunya two weeks into the visit, and though the worst of our illness was over after 5-6 days, we still have some minor symptoms. We saw few mozzies at our place on the beach, but were travelling around quite a lot on buses etc. Best advice seems to be to use personal insect repellant liberally (like our two survivors!!)and burn a coil inside before closing up at night. Bring the repellant with you. Lots of trouble with older people being given IV anti-inflamatories and becoming VERY ill. There were good articles with advice in L'Express during mid to late May. I'm at [e-mail] if I can help with any specific question.

[Bhavesh]

You guys might want to read this:
http://themauritiancommunity.co.uk/showthread...
it shows you how to prevent the spread and how it is spread.