Transcript
JEAN-PAUL GRANGEON: We've got about 2100 cumulative cases since the beginning of the year. We've got mainly all cities and villages are infected and we've got three types of viruses circulating - dengue one, dengue two and dengue three - several types.
TIM GLASGOW: Is this one of the worst outbreaks of dengue you've actually seen do you think?
JG: No, actually. We've got much more severe outbreaks in the past. We haven't got much dengue cases since the beginning of the year. But we are very careful about this outbreak because it's the first time we've got all the three types circulating at the same time, but we are taking big control measures that makes, for now, the outbreak under control that means we haven't got many people hospitalised with severe cases every day. We've got about 10 people hospitalised, which is not much worse than situations in the past.
TG: So you said you’ve put some measures in place to reduce the outbreak, what are some of those measures?
JG: Well we are doing [a] aerial spread. Larvicide or insecticide - vector control measures around 100 metres around each case. There is a vector control aerial spread and we are giving repellent to people around each case and we're giving out 1000 repellent bottles every week. We've got many in our team going all around the different suburbs of Noumea and other areas, even in remote areas - such as villages or tribes - all around New Caledonia to inform them to destroy breeding sites and we give them repellent and the stuff to make sure they won't be infected by mosquitos or be bitten by mosquitos.
TG: so you're saying that it’s not the worst outbreak that you've seen?
JG, We had, in 2003, an outbreak of dengue that lead to 19 deaths and that was the worst dengue outbreak for the last 30 years in New Caledonia. Now, with this outbreak and even with the three types circulating - we have had no dengue two or dengue three since the 1990s - this outbreak it under control with means there are not many new cases every day. There's about 30 to 40 cases every day, which is not so much.
TG: Are you expecting the situation to improve from here?
JG: Well, for the last ten days to a fortnight, I would say the outbreak is quite stable, the increase stopped and we are stable with a number of new cases and number of severe cases which means, we are not at the end of the outbreak, but for now, it does not increase and i think we still have to be very careful and continue measures to keep going on the measures we implemented for the next two months until the climate is better with more fresh air and the mosquito cycle will be shorter.