The disease is spreading quite slowly. The latest statistics made public by the ministry of Health revealed that 206 people have been infected with chikungunya. The authorities are continuing their prevention campaign by reminding people how to reduce risks (avoid the creation of spots where mosquitoes would proliferate that is accumulations of water, flower vases etc). The ministry has also received 15 fogging machines as well as 70 insecticide sprayers to help eliminate mosquitoes.

A South African expert, Mark Edwardes, has been in Mauritius to train people to use the machines and products. The private company Roger Fayd?herbe has also put several litres of insecticide at the ministry?s disposal after it rented its fogging machines last week.

A special programme to eliminate mosquitoes in schools has been launched. The ministry has also asked the World Health Organisation to send an expert to Mauritius to help local authorities in their endeavour to reduce risks.

<B>Under control</B>

Last week, rumours saying that the disease had affected many more people than the ministry had revealed were rife. The fact that the ministry took a day or two to reveal the latest number of people infected with the disease had led the public to believe that they had something to hide. When there is a lack of formal information, rumours can lead to people reacting in unexpected ways.

With the ?Assises of tourism? ? event aimed at boosting the tourism sector ? people might have been tempted to believe that the authorities were afraid to release frightening statistics at a time when the country wants to attract more tourists. But the government has clarified the facts since then saying that ?everything is under control?.

In fact, internal sources at the ministry of Health explain that official statistics are difficult to obtain. In the same family, there may be four people having the same symptoms but only one will be listed as infected. Likewise, people treated by private doctors may not be enrolled on the official list of infected people. Although it is mandatory, all private doctors do not make it a duty to communicate the number of their patients suffering from chikungunya ? to the ministry.