Dengue fever — what it is, symptoms, treatment

Rospotrebnadzor has taken control of the situation with reports of cases of infection of Russian tourists in Bali with dengue fever. The ministry noted that the risk of the disease entering the territory of the Russian Federation is high, but there is no epidemiological danger to the country. Read about the symptoms and ways to prevent dengue fever in the Izvestia article.

Dengue fever in Bali — what is known

On March 2, a number of media outlets and Telegram channels reported an outbreak of dengue fever among Russian tourists in Bali. It was noted that several dozen people had symptoms of the disease.

One of the victims told in an interview with "The newspaper.Ru" that she experienced severe weakness and body aches, which were accompanied by a temperature of up to 40 degrees. The woman explained that it is possible to determine dengue fever only a few days after the onset of symptoms, so she had to wait to take the necessary tests and confirm the diagnosis. All this time, she kept her temperature down with paracetamol, as it was the only medicine she was prescribed at the hospital.

In turn, the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) noted that information from tourists about cases of infection with dengue fever not received. ATOR stressed that the Indonesian Ministry of Health had also not reported any outbreaks of the disease.

Vaccine information: Ginzburg named the conditions for creating a vaccine against metapneumovirus

How dangerous is the pathogen and what are the chances of its super strain emerging

However, Rospotrebnadzor took control of reports of cases of dengue fever in Bali. The ministry said that in order to prevent the import of infection into the territory of the Russian Federation, a number of measures are in place, including the Perimeter AIS system, which analyzes epidemic risks.

The press service of Rospotrebnadzor explained that about 2 billion people live in the risk zone of infection with dengue fever, and 100-400 million cases of infection are recorded annually. The disease is most common in the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean, Africa, America and Southeast Asia. At the same time, only imported cases of fever are registered in Russia every year, among which there have been no deaths yet.

However, the ministry noted that due to high migration activity and the development of international tourism, the risk of dengue fever being imported into the Russian Federation remains high. At the same time, such cases do not pose an epidemiological danger, since there are no conditions in our country for the circulation of the pathogen virus and the growth of the mosquito-carrying population.

Dengue fever: what it is, symptoms

Dengue fever is an acute viral disease transmitted to humans through the bites of infected Aedes mosquitoes. These insects are especially common in tropical and subtropical climates. Outbreaks of the disease are most often recorded in Southeast Asian countries (Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Cambodia, etc.), but they also occur in the Caribbean, Oceania, Central and South America.

The causative agent of dengue fever is a flavivirus with four serotypes. It is able to circulate in the blood of an infected person for 2-7 days. If a mosquito bites a patient during this time, it can become a vector of the virus. Cases of human-to-human transmission of fever are extremely rare. Infection can occur through blood transfusion, the use of a non-sterile syringe, as well as during pregnancy from mother to child.

In most patients, dengue is asymptomatic or mild, but it can be severe and even fatal. The first symptoms usually appear 4-7 days after infection. These include high fever (about 40 degrees), headache, pain in the back of the eyeballs, muscle and joint aches, rash, and enlarged lymph nodes. The high temperature can last from 48 to 96 hours, then decrease to normal for about a day, and then rise again.

Severe dengue is characterized by severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, rapid breathing, nosebleeds, severe thirst, confusion, seizures, and encephalopathy. In rare cases, the patient may develop hemorrhagic fever, which is considered the most severe. Nevertheless, even in such cases, the mortality rate of patients who seek medical help on time is less than 1%. Without proper treatment, the probability of death increases significantly.

In mild form, the symptoms of dengue fever begin to subside after three days of illness. In more severe cases, within a few weeks after recovery, the patient may show signs of asthenia: weakness, decreased performance, headaches, etc.

Treatment and prevention of dengue fever, is there a vaccine

There is no specific treatment for dengue fever, and therapy is aimed at reducing symptoms and maintaining a stable patient's condition. To prevent the development of a severe form of the disease, people with signs of malaise who have visited regions endemic to the virus should immediately consult a doctor.

There is no vaccination against dengue fever in Russia. On the territory of The United States and the European Union have approved two types of vaccines, but they are used only if there are epidemic indications. Tourists visiting tropical regions are not vaccinated, so it is important to follow other preventive measures during trips.

The best way to protect yourself from dengue fever is to avoid mosquito bites. When traveling in tropical countries, experts recommend wearing closed clothes, using repellents, covering windows and doors with mosquito nets, and refraining from excursions in swampy areas of the country. To prevent further transmission of the virus, infected people should remain under a mosquito net until symptoms disappear completely.

Earlier, Izvestia was told whether it is worth fearing an epidemic due to the outbreak metapneumovirus in China.