CDC / Dengue in Madeira, Portugal
Center for Disease Control and Prevention: Outbreak notice: December 20, 2012
What Is the Current Situation?
As of December 9, 2012, 2,050 cases of dengue fever have been reported from the Portuguese island of Madeira. There have been 58 cases of dengue reported in European travelers returning from Madeira.
At this time, CDC does not advise against travel to Madeira. However, travelers should protect themselves from mosquito bites.
What Is Dengue?
Dengue is an illness caused by a virus that is spread through mosquito bites. Symptoms include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, rash, and pain in the eyes, joints, and muscles. Symptoms can take up to 2 weeks to develop after you are bitten by an infected mosquito but usually last one week. In severe cases, symptoms may include intense stomach pain, repeated vomiting, and bleeding from the nose or gums. See a doctor right away if you have these symptoms.
Travelers who go to tropical and subtropical regions are at risk of getting dengue. These areas include parts of the Caribbean, Central and South America , Western Pacific Islands, Australia (Queensland), Southeast Asia, and Africa.
Dengue is more common in urban areas and is not usually seen at altitudes above 5,000 feet (1,500 meters). The mosquito that carries the dengue virus bites both day and night and is commonly found indoors as well as outdoors.
Clinician Information:
Early and proper diagnosis of dengue is important, as many other diseases may mimic dengue. Health care providers should consider dengue, malaria, chikungunya, and leptospirosis, depending on the itinerary and exposure, in the differential diagnosis of patients who have fever and a history of travel to tropical areas during the 2 weeks before symptom onset.
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