Overview of dengue outbreaks in the southwestern Indian Ocean and analysis of factors involved in the shift toward endemicity in Reunion Island: A systematic review

Abstract

Background Dengue is the world’s most prevalent mosquito-borne viral disease. It is endemic in many tropical and subtropical countries and represents a significant global health burden. The first reports of dengue virus (DENV) circulation in the South West Indian Ocean (SWIO) islands date back to the early 1940s; however, an increase in DENV circulation has been reported in the SWIO in recent years. The aim of this review is to trace the history of DENV in the SWIO islands using available records from the Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mayotte, Seychelles, and Reunion. We focus in particular on the most extensive data from Reunion Island, highlighting factors that may explain the observed increasing incidence, and the potential shift from one-off outbreaks to endemic dengue transmission. Methods Following the PRISMA guidelines, the literature review focused queried different databases using the keywords “dengue” or “Aedes albopictus” combined with each of the following SWIO islands the Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mayotte, Seychelles, and Reunion. We also compiled case report data for dengue in Mayotte and Reunion in collaboration with the regional public health agencies in these French territories. References and data were discarded when original sources were not identified. We examined reports of climatic, anthropogenic, and mosquito-related factors that may influence the maintenance of dengue transmission independently of case importation linked to travel. Findings and conclusions The first report of dengue circulation in the SWIO was documented in 1943 in the Comoros. Then not until an outbreak in 1976 to 1977 that affected approximately 80% of the population of the Seychelles. DENV was also reported in 1977 to 1978 in Reunion with an estimate of nearly 30% of the population infected. In the following 40-year period, DENV circulation was qualified as interepidemic with sporadic cases. However, in recent years, the region has experienced uninterrupted DENV transmission at elevated incidence. Since 2017, Reunion witnessed the cocirculation of 3 serotypes (DENV-1, DENV-2 and DENV-3) and an increased number of cases with severe forms and deaths. Reinforced molecular and serological identification of DENV serotypes and genotypes circulating in the SWIO as well as vector control strategies is necessary to protect exposed human populations and limit the spread of dengue.

Applications of artificial intelligence in predicting dengue outbreaks in the face of climate change: a case study along coastal India

“…Dengue transmission dynamics along coasts are characterized by non-linear dynamics with strong seasonality, multi-annual oscillations, and non-stationary temporal variation (49). Seasonal and muti-annual cycles are fluctuating more unpredictably in the face of climate change, and more irregular intervals of outbreaks are increasingly observed along coastlines (50).…”

Four shades of red: optimizing the use of oviposition traps to monitor mosquito populations of arbovirus vectors in La Reunion

“…At the end of July 2021 -i.e., at the end of DV transmission season, public-health authorities reported 27,213 con rmed dengue cases and 15 deaths as of January 2021 [14] . The consecutive circulation of several DV serotypes is accompanied by an increased risk of clinical severity, a possible sign of DV endemisation [15] .…”

Midgut transcriptomic responses to dengue and chikungunya viruses in the vectors Aedes albopictus and Aedes malayensis

“…However, multiple Aedes species have long been known to be susceptible to DENV and CHIKV infections 14 and can act as vectors of importance, as exempli ed by the mild dengue and chikungunya epidemics that occurred in areas without A. aegypti 8, [15][16][17][18][19] . For instance, Aedes albopictus is su cient to maintain endemic dengue in La Réunion island 20,21 , is responsible for sporadic outbreaks of increasing intensity in Southern Europe [22][23][24] , and caused an outbreak in an urban park in Japan 18 . For CHIKV, its envelope protein evolved to increase transmission by A. albopictus without compromising A. aegypti vector competence 25 , causing an unprecedented epidemic spanning the Indian Ocean region, East Africa and India 3 .…”