The number of dengue fever cases has been steadily increasing in Peru recently. The Ministry of Health currently speaks of around 25,000 cases. Most cases are mild, but the media is already reporting at least 32 deaths. At the beginning of February, the city administration of Rio de Janeiro declared a health emergency due to the rapidly spreading dengue fever. The disease is transmitted by mosquitoes. What constitutes the disease – an overview.
The virus is typically recognized by three symptoms that occur at the same time: fever, rash and headache, limb or joint pain. In rare cases, internal bleeding and shock also occur.
With today’s healthcare system, most cases are easily treatable. This means that long-term consequences rarely occur. In 1.5 percent of infections, the disease becomes severe and can lead to death. However, with early detection, the death rate falls below one percent.
The safest protection against infection is reliable mosquito repellent. The virus is transmitted by yellow fever mosquitoes. Occasionally also by tiger mosquitoes. So if you prevent a mosquito bite by using mosquito repellent, you are also protecting yourself from dengue fever. You can also avoid still waters and wear a mosquito net.
A vaccination against dengue fever is recommended if you often travel to tropical areas, because the mosquitoes that transmit it are particularly active there. There are currently two approved vaccines against the virus in Europe, which since February 2023 you can have injected by your family doctor or a tropical medicine doctor, even while on vacation.
In Germany there have not yet been any registered cases that were proven to have been transmitted by a mosquito. According to the Robert Koch Institute, around 600 cases in 2018 and over 1,000 cases in 2019 were imported infections, mostly from Southeast Asia.
The Federal Foreign Office informs that travelers in Brazil and Peru should pay particular attention to good mosquito protection during the day and in the evening. “Mosquito repellents are available in the country, but not all of them in the necessary concentration. You should therefore bring them from Germany, at least to start with,” it says. In order to receive a vaccination, the Federal Foreign Office recommends individual medical advice before the trip, especially for longer stays.
Sources: Tropical Institute, Federal Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Foreign Office, RKI, Foreign Office 2
