Preventing Dengue Fever: Important information for business travelers visiting high-risk countries

2023-09-01 20:25:19

Business visit… Died two days following hospitalization
There is no vaccine or treatment, no mosquito bites

▲ Due to climate change, the habitat of Anopheles mosquitoes, which transmit malaria, yellow fever, and dengue fever, is gradually expanding. Provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a Korean who visited Bangladesh contracted dengue fever and died there.

According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 1st, a Korean who frequently visited Bangladesh and Africa for business purposes developed dengue fever symptoms on the 22nd of last month and was hospitalized in a local hospital in Bangladesh for treatment.

Dengue fever is transmitted by the bite of mosquitoes infected with the dengue virus. After an incubation period of 5 to 7 days, symptoms such as fever, headache, chills, and muscle pain appear. Prevention, such as preventing mosquito bites, is important as there is no effective vaccine or treatment yet.

There have been no cases of dengue fever infection in South Korea, only cases of infection following visiting countries with epidemics.

Until the 26th of last month, 107 Koreans were infected with dengue fever abroad this year. Most of the major infected countries were in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Malaysia.

In particular, this year, as an unusual increase in precipitation occurred in Southeast Asia (Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, etc.) and Southwest Asia (Bangladesh, India, etc.), temperature and humidity rose together, resulting in a rapid increase in the density of mosquito vectors, affecting patients and patients in those countries. The number of deaths is also increasing rapidly. ▲ Countries with dengue fever. Source Center for Disease Control. Because the fatality rate of dengue fever rapidly increases when re-infected, special care is required if you are infected with dengue fever or if you frequently visit areas where dengue fever is endemic.

There are four serotypes of dengue virus, and if reinfected with another serotype, it can progress to severe dengue fever (dengue hemorrhagic fever, dengue shock syndrome, etc.) with a fatality rate of up to 5%. The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on the 11th of last month that the possibility of severe cases due to reinfection might increase due to a change in the dominant dengue fever serotype.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, “People who are staying or planning to visit dengue fever risk countries should prepare mosquito repellent products such as mosquito repellents and mosquito nets to prevent dengue fever.” It is important to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes by using repellent.”

Quarantine authorities are providing preemptive tests for dengue fever free of charge until November through the National Quarantine Offices at airports and ports. It is recommended to actively get tested if you have a memory of a mosquito bite in a high-risk country or have suspicious symptoms.

Reporter Yumin Kim

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