Abstract : Dengue is the most widespread arbovirosis in the world, with approximately 390 million cases per year, 96 millions of which have clinical manifestations and 25,000 deaths. In West Africa, the circulation of this virus in human populations was first reported in the 1960s in Nigeria. Clinical diagnosis of dengue in West Africa is made difficult by the existence of other diseases with similar clinical presentations. Biological diagnosis remains therefore the only alternative. This biological diagnosis requires high quality equipment and well-trained personnel, which are not always available in resource-limited countries. Thus, many cases of dengue fever are consistently reported as malaria, leading to mismanagement, which can have serious consequences on the health status of patients. It is therefore necessary to set up surveillance systems for febrile infections of unknown origin in Africa by strengthening the diagnostic capacities of national laboratories.
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Résumé : Dengue fever is the most widespread arbovirus in the world with approximately 390 million cases per year, of which 96 million present clinical manifestations, with more than 25,152 annual deaths listed. The clinical diagnosis of dengue fever in West Africa is made difficult by the existence of other diseases presenting similar clinical pictures. It is therefore necessary to set up surveillance systems for febrile infections of unknown origin in Africa, by strengthening the diagnostic capacities of national laboratories.
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