Time: 2024-06-25
Tourists are being warned about a potentially fatal infection spreading in France, with 600 more cases reported in the country since last month. Most people with dengue fever recover without any ongoing problems. The risk of death among those with severe dengue is 0.8 per cent to 2.5 per cent, and with adequate treatment this is less than 1 per cent. However, those who develop significantly low blood pressure may have a fatality rate of up to 26 per cent. Public Health France has announced that almost 20 per cent of the more than 2,800 cases were imported from Guadeloupe or Martinique.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has issued a serious health alert for British travelers returning from popular holiday destinations in Europe and beyond. The Foreign Office-backed travel health website has reported three cases of dengue fever in Italy since June 10th, advising UK tourists to take precautions. Dengue fever, a potentially deadly disease transmitted by mosquitoes, was historically known as 'bone break fever' due to the intense pain it causes in muscles and joints.
It comes as UK holidaymakers prepare to fly out to France for the Summer Olympic Games in July and August. Climate change is creating favorable conditions for the tiger mosquito to spread, said the ECDC. ECDC director Andrea Ammon stated that Europe is already seeing how climate change is creating more favorable conditions for invasive mosquitoes to spread into previously unaffected areas and infect more people with diseases such as dengue. Increased international travel from dengue-endemic countries will also increase the risk of imported cases, and inevitably also the risk of local outbreaks.
Symptoms of dengue typically appear four to ten days after a mosquito bite and can include high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, nausea, swollen glands, and a blotchy rash. Severe cases can present as severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, rapid breathing, bleeding gums or nose, extreme fatigue, restlessness, and blood in vomit or stool. To avoid dengue, travelers are advised to wear long-sleeved clothing and trousers, especially during dawn and dusk, use insect repellent containing DEET, close windows and doors or use screens, and sleep under a mosquito net treated with insecticide, even during the day.
The World Health Organization reported more than six million cases and 7,000 deaths from dengue fever each year, with cases more common in countries like Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Countries like Argentina and Southern Europe have seen a rise in mosquito-borne diseases like dengue due to climate change. Italy reported a significant rise in cases from its first local case in 2020 to 67 cases in 2023. France also saw a jump from nine cases in 2019 to 65 in 2023. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported more than 2,000 imported malaria cases in 2023, attributing the rise to increased travel post-pandemic and a resurgence of malaria in various countries. Scientists warn that over half the global population may be at risk from mosquito-borne diseases like malaria and dengue by the end of the century.
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