DE-MA-RE Epidemiological study of DEngue virus infections in Madagascar and Reunion Island.

Dengue is the most globally prevalent arboviral disease. Incidence of dengue follows an increasing trend that is expected to continue due to the increase in urbanization, population size, air traffic and climate change. The situation of dengue in the Indian Ocean region is poorly known. Aedes albopictus, usually considered as a secondary vector for dengue virus (DENV) has spread since the eighties to more than 25 European countries, North America and to Central Africa. Madagascar and Reunion Island are representative of the islands in the Indian Ocean. On both islands, dengue has emerged in the past few years and transmission is due to A.albopictus. Many questions remain to be answered regarding the low transmission rate and to understand how to predict the future evolution of this emergent disease in the Indian Ocean region. DEMARE is a field epidemiology study on dengue that will take place on two islands of the Indian Ocean that have in common a recent emergence of the disease transmitted through A. albopictus. The main objective is to estimate the prevalence of dengue fever infections of all clinical forms including asymptomatic cases in the community, according to a clustered geographical design around dengue index cases.

Olga's thesis is part of a project lead by Antoine Flahault which has also received funding by SNSF (project no.179532).

Keywords: epidemiology of dengue, asymptomatic, Reunion Island, Madagascar, seroprevalence of dengue, dengue transmission

Short Biography

I graduated at the Faculty of Medicine of Lausanne in 2006. After a clinical training as a general practitioner, I turned to clinical research because of a strong interest in public health, infectious diseases and research. I obtain a master in Clinical Research focusing in International Health at the University of Barcelona in 2013. Thereafter, I had the chance to contribute to a clinical trial of global interest on the safety and immunogenicity of a new Ebola vaccine. I continue my research training by working as a medical algorithm developer for eHealth projects with the Policlinique Médicale Universitaire of Lausanne.

Olga De Santis
Institute of Global Health
University of Geneva

Olga.DeSantis@unige.ch

Supervisor: Antoine Flahault