Darrick Robles Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral infection that is more prevalent in tropical and subtropical areas. Around 400 million people worldwide are infected with the virus every year. Most sufferers have no symptoms or show symptoms similar to a cold. Dengue fever has a three-phase course, with the last phase rarely occurring with internal bleeding and shock symptoms. Vaccination for people aged 9 to 45 who have already had a dengue infection has been approved in Germany since 2018.
Dengue fever symptoms
The infection usually begins with cold-like symptoms such as e.g.:
- Fever
- Pain in the head or behind the eyes
- joint and muscle pain
- Sore throat
- exhaustion
- chills
About half of those affected develop a rash on the face (sometimes on other parts of the body) with itching and flaking. The rash lasts for several days and usually goes away on its own.
In rare cases (particularly in people who become infected with the virus for the second time), the course can be severe and include severe abdominal pain, petechiae (small bleeding spots in the skin), bloody diarrhea and/or vomiting.
Causes of dengue fever
The cause of dengue fever is the dengue virus. Mosquitoes contract the virus by sucking blood from infected humans or monkeys. The virus is passed on to humans through a mosquito bite . Direct transmission from person to person is not possible.
Dengue fever abroad
Dengue fever is considered to be the most common insect-borne viral disease worldwide . Approximately 3 billion people currently live in dengue risk areas. The main infection countries are popular travel destinations in South and Southeast Asia and Central and South America. Among them are:
- Thailand
- the Philippines
- Malaysia
- Nicaragua
- Brazil
- and Mexico
- Caribbean Islands (e.g. Dominican Republic)
the countries with the highest risk of infection.
In recent years, outbreaks have also been observed in Africa and in countries in the eastern Mediterranean. The increasing number of cases in southern European holiday countries is important in this context.
Diagnosis of dengue fever
The diagnosis is based on the symptoms and the laboratory evidence of virus-specific proteins or antibodies in the blood. Dengue fever is suspected if those affected have traveled to a dengue risk area and show the following symptoms: fever, flu-like illness and/or skin rash.
When to seek help for dengue fever
You should contact a doctor if you have been abroad recently and you have symptoms such as fever, skin rash, headache or muscle pain and especially diarrhea and vomiting.
Treatment options for dengue fever
There is no specific therapy for dengue fever because there are no specific antiviral drugs available to combat dengue virus. As a rule, you should take it easy and drink plenty of fluids. Common painkillers such as aspirin and ibuprofen must not be taken, as they have a blood-thinning effect and can lead to internal bleeding if the course is complicated.
If you suspect dengue fever, you should seek medical help as soon as possible. The symptoms can worsen within a few hours (especially in the case of a dengue infection that has gone through) and require intensive care therapy in rare severe cases.
Vaccination against dengue fever
Dengvaxia® is a live vaccine that targets all dengue virus serotypes. The vaccine has been approved for the European market since October 2018. However, approval is limited to people aged 9 to 45 who are in an endemic area and have already contracted dengue fever.
According to the manufacturer of the vaccine, patients who have received the vaccine without a previous dengue infection can develop an even more severe dengue fever if they are newly infected with the virus.
You can do this yourself if you have dengue fever
Since the infection is transmitted through mosquito bites, consistent mosquito protection is the safest preventive measure. The following rules of conduct should be observed:
- Wearing dark-colored clothing with long sleeves, long pants, and socks
- Use insect repellent with the active ingredient “diethyltoluamide”.
- Put mosquito nets over the bed and on doors and windows
- Drainage of water reservoirs, as mosquitoes like to lay their eggs in stagnant water such as B. in buckets, bottles, vases or rain barrels
This is how Med-Healths can help with dengue fever
Where are the current dengue endemic areas? Should you take special protective measures before your upcoming trip? Does vaccination make sense in your situation? Against which diseases should you vaccinate yourself before a planned stay abroad? Do you have a dengue infection? Your concerns and questions can be answered directly by a doctor via our video consultation.
