France summer holiday warning over outbreak of deadly infection

28 July 2023 , 20:39

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The Auvergne-Rhône Alpes region is now an important area of TBE circulation (Image: Getty Images)

Brits travelling to one of France top tourist destinations have been warned over a potentially lethal disease outbreak.

The country has seen a huge surge in cases of tick-borne encephalitis in recent months, with the hospitalisation rate now at 94%., according to public health chiefs. The cases appear to be concentrated around a region in the French Alps.

Some 61 cases of the disease were diagnosed as having been caught in France, and those travelling there for summer holidays have been warned to watch out for the bugs which can be carriers.

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a rare but potentially fatal disease affecting the brain and central nervous system. Encephalitis, which is the medical term for inflammation of the brain, can be caused by disease carried by ticks, a common bug known to latch onto humans and animals.

It can be transmitted to humans by bites often during leisure activities, in humid wooded areas such as camping, hiking, and mushroom picking - all popular activities in the ski resort region which is also regularly visited during the summer months.

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In 40% of cases, it can lead to long-lasting neurological problems. TBE has an incubation period of one to two weeks, meaning it can take up to 14 days between catching the disease before symptoms appear. Signs of TBE include flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache and chills.

The Auvergne-Rhône Alpes region is now an important area of TBE circulation, authorities have confirmed, with Haute-Savoie department reporting the highest number of cases in this two year period. Cases are now being reported in Ardèche department.

More than a third (37%) of cases in the two years up to May of this year resulted in potentially-fatal meningitis, France's health body said, while 38% also resulted in encephalitis, 13 per cent got meningoencephalitis, and three per cent encephalomyelitis. Ten per cent of patients had no neurological signs.

Ninety-four percent of cases required admission to hospital, although thankfully there were no deaths. Public Health France has now warned tourists should protect themselves from tick bites while outdoors.

Parents of young children in particular have been urged to carefully inspect their children after walking in rural areas or woodlands in endemic regions of up to 1,500 meters altitude, between spring and autumn. As well as bites it can also be transmitted via contamination through consuming raw dairy products. The main way to protect yourself it to wear protective clothing against tick bites.

How to protect yourself from tick bites

Small in size, ticks are difficult to spot. When walking in the forest, in meadows or when gardening, a few tips to follow can protect you from bites:

cover up, by wearing long clothes that cover the arms and legs, a hat and tuck the bottom of the pants into the socks;
stay on paths and avoid brush, ferns and tall grass;
use skin repellents.
When returning home after a walk in the forest or after gardening, it is advisable to:
examine yourself and your whole body carefully;
in the event of a bite, remove the tick(s) as quickly as possible with a tick puller or, failing that, fine tweezers.

Encephalitis usually starts off with flu-like symptoms, such as a high temperature and headache. More serious symptoms come on over hours, days or weeks, including: