Rash and Fever in a Returned Traveler.

Area of Science:

• Tropical Medicine
• Infectious Diseases
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Dengue fever is a significant global health concern, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions.
• Returning travelers presenting with febrile illness require careful evaluation for potential infectious etiologies.
• Prompt recognition of dengue is essential for appropriate patient management and public health surveillance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight a case of dengue fever in a returning traveler.
• To emphasize the importance of considering dengue in the differential diagnosis of febrile travelers.
• To underscore the role of clinical presentation and diagnostic testing in confirming dengue.

Main Methods:

• A case of a young female traveler returning from Ghana with nonspecific symptoms and a characteristic rash was presented.
• Physical examination findings, including a positive tourniquet test, were noted.
• Diagnostic suspicion for dengue was confirmed through laboratory testing.

Main Results:

• A diagnosis of dengue fever was confirmed in the patient.
• The case illustrates a typical presentation of dengue in a returning traveler.
• The importance of a broad differential diagnosis for febrile travelers was reinforced.

Conclusions:

• Dengue fever should be strongly considered in travelers presenting with fever and rash after visiting endemic areas.
• Emergency physicians play a critical role in the early diagnosis and management of dengue in travelers.
• A thorough patient history and physical examination are paramount in the workup of febrile illness in returned travelers.