[Dengue in Martinique in 1995-1996]

The incidence of dengue increased sharply in Martinique from the end of 1995 into 1996. Virological tests performed jointly on 36 serum samples by the Pasteur Institute in French Guyana and the Center for Disease Control in Puerto Rico led to identification of serogroups 1, 2, and 4 for six dengue virus. Between January 1995 and December 1996, the Departmental Hygiene Laboratory of Martinique carried out screening tests to detect specific IgM by the immunocapture method (MAC ELISA) in patients with suspected dengue. Results were positive in 701 of the 2,143 patients tested (32.7%). Symptoms were studied in 421 of these positive cases. The most frequent presentation was a flu-like syndrome with hyperalgia. Nausea, vomiting, joint pain, and retroocular pain were frequent. At least one clinical sign of coagulation disturbance was noted in 83 patients (19.7%). Dengue hemorrhagic syndrome was diagnosed according to the criteria of the World Health Organization in six patients including one who developed circulatory collapse and died. This fatality was the first to be reported in Martinique. The incidence of typical dengue as well as of the hemorrhagic form is probably underestimated in Martinique because specific serological tests are not routinely requested and application of WHO criteria for diagnosis of hemorrhagic forms is often impractical.