1. Malaria risk in Corsica, former hot spot of malaria in France
- Author
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Gilbert Le Goff, Céline Toty, Hélène Barré, Daniel Couret, Nil Rahola, Didier Fontenille, Isabelle Larget-Thiery, Caractérisation et contrôle des populations de vecteurs, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Direction de la Solidarité et de la Santé de Corse et de Corse-du-Sud, Sciences pour l'environnement (SPE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Pascal Paoli (UPP), Centre de Production et Infection des Anophèles (plateforme) - Center for the Production and Infection of Anopheles (platform) (CEPIA), Institut Pasteur [Paris], The paper is catalogued by the EDEN Steering Committee as EDEN 232 http://www.eden-fp6project.net/., Université Pascal Paoli (UPP)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut Pasteur [Paris] (IP), and Centre de Production et Infection des Anophèles (Plateforme) (CEPIA)
- Subjects
Risk ,Entomology ,lcsh:Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine ,lcsh:RC955-962 ,030231 tropical medicine ,Plasmodium vivax ,Plasmodium falciparum ,MESH: Malaria ,Zoology ,MESH: Insect Vectors ,Biology ,Plasmodium ,Polymerase Chain Reaction ,lcsh:Infectious and parasitic diseases ,MESH: Anopheles ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,[SDV.MHEP.MI]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Human health and pathology/Infectious diseases ,Anopheles ,parasitic diseases ,medicine ,Animals ,Humans ,MESH: Animals ,lcsh:RC109-216 ,MESH: Plasmodium falciparum ,0303 health sciences ,MESH: Humans ,MESH: Risk ,030306 microbiology ,Ecology ,Research ,Outbreak ,MESH: Polymerase Chain Reaction ,medicine.disease ,biology.organism_classification ,3. Good health ,Insect Vectors ,Malaria ,MESH: Plasmodium vivax ,MESH: France ,Infectious Diseases ,Parasitology ,France - Abstract
Background The prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax malaria was very high in Corsica just before the Second World War. The last outbreak was in 1972 and the most recent indigenous case was in 2006. Results Analysis of historical data shows that anopheline vectors were abundant. Recent surveys demonstrated that potential vectors are still present in Corsica, despite the likely disappearance of Anopheles sacharovi. Moreover, P. falciparum can develop experimentally into these mosquitoes, notably Anopheles labranchiae, which is locally abundant, and parasites are regularly introduced into the island. Discussion, Conclusions The presence of vectors, the introduction of parasites and the conducive climate raise questions about the possibility of malaria re-emerging and becoming re-established in Corsica. Analysis of historic and current parasitological and entomological data shows that the current theoretical risk of indigenous cases or malaria foci is negligible, particularly since there is very little contact between humans and Anopheles mosquitoes, Plasmodium carriers are reliably treated and there is a widespread vector control on the island.
- Published
- 2010