Expats and travelers in some parts of South America need to be on the alert to the possibility of contracting dengue fever.
Over 20,000 cases of dengue have been reported in Bolivia in the last few months, with fifteen deaths from the disease. A national health emergency has been declared and the Bolivian government has issued a request for foreign aid, funds and expert assistance to help control and restrict the spread of the disease. To the east in Paraguay, a similar dengue situation has been reported although not as intense as in Bolivia. Neighbouring Argentina has been affected to a much lesser degree.
The dengue virus is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, and manifests as a sudden onset of severe headache, muscle and joint pains, accompanied by a very high fever. The dengue rash is characteristically bright red appearing first on the lower limbs and chest. In some cases the rash can extend to cover almost all of the body. Gastritis is a common feature in the disease resulting in abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Medical advice should be sought if dengue is suspected as patients may need intravenous fluids to counteract dehydration if oral intake is insufficient.
There is currently no vaccine available against dengue although testing is at a fairly advanced stage. Thai researchers have successfully tested a vaccine on animals and are now conducting tests on a small group of human volunteers.
Preventative measures are restricted to mosquito population control and employing measures to repel the insect from biting.
For a fact sheet and more information on dengue fever visit http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/dengue/
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