Olympics: how many days does it take for mosquitoes in Greater Paris to transmit arboviruses, and what preventive measures are needed?

The number of imported cases of dengue in the Greater Paris region increased significantly in the first few months of 2024. In the run-up to the Olympic Games, with huge numbers of international visitors set to come to Paris – including from endemic dengue countries –, we need to be vigilant. Scientists from the Institut Pasteur, in collaboration with the Regional Mosquito Control Agency (ARD) and the National Reference Center for Arboviruses (Inserm-Irba), have demonstrated that the tiger mosquito, now present in Greater Paris, is capable of transmitting five viruses (West Nile, chikungunya, Usutu, Zika and dengue) within different time frames ranging from 3 to 21 days, at an external temperature of 28°C. These results highlight the importance of stepping up surveillance of imported cases of arboviruses this summer. The study was published on May 16 in Eurosurveillance.

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