After the coronavirus, another epidemic hits Marseille. Pneumococcus, a respiratory infection, has already affected thirteen people working on a shipyard, according to La Provence.
“The risks of contagion are very important in this overcrowding where the workers are 2 to 4 per cabin. Of the 25 patients to date, half have had a confirmed pneumococcal infection, "said Professor Philippe Parola to the local newspaper.
Faced with the rise in infection which can prove fatal, the Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur Regional Health Agency (ARS) announced that it would carry out a vaccination campaign on Monday. 4000 employees will be mobilized for this “large-scale” operation. Masks have already been distributed.
A similar epidemic in Finland
“You can be a healthy carrier of the bacteria or catch it by contagion. A respiratory virus (flu, respiratory syncytial virus or coronavirus for example) can make us more fragile, and secondary infection is triggered, "explained the professor, who has not seen an epidemic of this virulence" in 25 years ".
Little is known about the origin of the virus. By doing research, doctors found "a similar epidemic six months ago on a boat in a port in Finland. Some of our patients were there. It's a track, "said the specialist.