Take precautions against dengue fever when travelling to Mauritius |25 March 2014

The Ministry of Health is urging people travelling to Mauritius to take extra precautions to prevent mosquito bites and avoid being affected by dengue fever.

In a communiqué, the ministry writes that the Ministry of Health of Mauritius has confirmed 20 cases of dengue type 1 as of March 20, 2014. The cases had no history of travel therefore there is local transmission of dengue in Mauritius.

The ministry adds that no vaccine or no chemoprophylaxis is available to prevent dengue.

Travellers are therefore being advised to avoid mosquito bites by taking the following preventive measures:

. Select accommodations with well-screened windows and doors or air conditioning when possible. Aedes mosquitoes typically hide indoors and are often found in dark, cool places, such as in closets, under beds, behind curtains, and in bathrooms. Travellers should use insecticides to get rid of mosquitoes in these areas.

. Wear clothing that adequately covers the arms and legs, especially during the early morning and late afternoon, when risk of being bitten is the highest.
. Use insect repellent

. For long-term travellers, empty and clean or cover any standing water that can be mosquito-breeding sites in the local residence (such as water storage tanks or flowerpot trays).

. Eliminating mosquito-breeding sites around the home and in our environment is a practice that is very effective in curbing the transmission of mosquito borne disease. This is strongly encouraged at all times.

. Upon your return to Seychelles if you have signs and symptoms of dengue continue to protect yourself against mosquito bites and visit your doctor immediately and provide information pertaining to your recent travel history.