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Imported Dengue in The Netherlands
Bakker1, Veenstra, Dingemans-Dumas
1Division of Infectious Diseases, Tropical Medicine and AIDS, Department of Internal Medicine, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Journal of Travel Medicine
|December 1, 1996
Summary
Imported dengue in Western travelers is typically mild, presenting with common symptoms like fever and malaise. Laboratory findings often include low white blood cell count (leukocytopenia), low platelet count (thrombocytopenia), and elevated liver enzymes.
Area of Science:
- Tropical Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
- Clinical Epidemiology
Background:
- Dengue fever is a significant global health concern, particularly for travelers visiting endemic regions.
- Understanding the clinical spectrum of imported dengue in non-endemic populations is crucial for accurate diagnosis and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the clinical manifestations and laboratory findings of dengue in adult Western travelers.
- To describe the epidemiological trends of imported dengue cases over a decade.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective chart review of adult patients diagnosed with dengue at an academic hospital in The Netherlands.
- Case confirmation through serological testing (complement fixation antibody titer, IgM).
Main Results:
- Dengue was confirmed in 34 patients and probable in 12, with an increasing annual incidence since 1989, primarily imported from Asia.
- Predominant symptoms included malaise (98%), fever (96%), headache (64%), and a non-characteristic rash (84%).
- Common laboratory abnormalities were leukocytopenia (87%), thrombocytopenia (75%), and elevated serum aminotransferase activities (75%) during the first week of illness.
Conclusions:
- Dengue in Western travelers is generally a mild illness.
- Leukocytopenia, thrombocytopenia, and elevated aminotransferase levels are frequent laboratory indicators in these patients.
- Early recognition of these clinical and laboratory features aids in the diagnosis of imported dengue.