The most serious outbreak of Dengue fever of all times
South and Central America are currently experiencing the most severe outbreak of Dengue fever since the beginning of the systematic collection in the year 1980. So far, have been registered in the current year, more than 2.7 million cases – 13 percent more than in the largest Dengue epidemic in the Region in 2015. The Pan-American health organization (PAHO) said. Until the end of October 1206 people died thus in Dengue.
Most Honduras, Brazil, Mexico, Nicaragua and Colombia were affected. Honduras had to call due to the rapid rise of infections in July, the national state of emergency. In relation to the population number, there were most of the contagions in Belize. The PAHO called on the affected countries to monitor the spread of the Dengue Virus is better to inform the population about the dangers and to take preventive measures.
Similar symptoms such as Malaria
Dengue viruses are mosquito-yellow fever (Aedes aegypti) transmitted. The disease has pain symptoms similar to Malaria: high fever, headache, joint. In particularly severe cases, it can result in, among other things, abdominal pain, blood, mucous membranes or persistent vomiting.
It is estimated that around 400 million people are infected worldwide each year with the Dengue Virus, almost half of the world’s population is exposed to the risk of infection. only about 25 percent of them will develop complaints. The risk for a severe course of the disease is increasing in the case of a second infection. According to the Robert Koch Institute, about 0.5 percent of developing up to two percent of people with a severe Form of Dengue if they are infected for the second Time.
In many Asian and Latin American countries, the severe Dengue syndrome is one of the main causes of severe illness and death in children. So far, there are according to the tropical Institute no reliable possibility of vaccination against the Virus. It is only the associated symptoms can be alleviated. Locals and travelers, the regions in Dengue-on-the-go, it is recommended to bites protection against Mosquito.
In Germany diagnose Doctors every year, between 600 and 800 infections in people who have returned from a trip. Severe courses of the disease are extremely rare. “Of the more than 4000 reported Dengue infections in travel returnees from 2013 to 2018, only 0.3 percent meet the criteria for a severe Dengue disease – none of the cases reported as deceased,” writes the Robert Koch Institute.
Worldwide, several programs to reduce the number of mosquitoes is currently underway. In addition to conventional means for insect control experiments with the sterilization of the male specimens by radioactive radiation, and the Exposing of genetically modified mosquitoes.
