DENGUE-1 EPIDEMIC IN GRANDE-COMORE-ISLAND (FEDERAL-ISLAMIC-REPUBLIC-OF-COMOROS), MARCH MAY 1993

An epidemic of dengue fever occured in Grande Comore island from March to May 1993. Dengue 1 virus has been isolated. The epidemic did not a ffect the other islands of the archipelago. No compound clinical pictu re, in particular hemorrhagic, was reported. A random sampling survey conducted towards the end of April showed that 26 % of the population aged 5 years old or more had IgM dengue antibodies. The epidemic conce rned essentially individuals under 45 years of age. The number of inha bitants of Grande Comore affected by the outbreak can be estimated bet ween 56,000 and 75,000. The results of the sero-epidemiological survey allowed to find the serological scar of two previous epidemics of den gue: the first one around 1948, which may correspond with dengue 1, th e other one in 1984, probably with dengue 2.