With the increase in overseas travel after Corona 19, the number of dengue fever patients in Korea has increased. Experts advise to be careful not to get bitten by mosquitoes during the trip.
The Seoul Metropolitan Health and Environment Research Institute announced on the 16th that there were 34 dengue fever patients following tests on suspected dengue fever patients who visited hospitals in the Seoul area from this year to last November. There are five types of infectious diseases transmitted by mosquitoes imported from overseas that are tested by the Seoul Institute of Health and Environment: dengue fever, yellow fever, chikungunya fever, West Nile fever, and Zika virus infection. Vietnam is the country most allegedly infected with dengue fever. Followed by Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and India. The Seoul Institute of Health and Environment analyzed that “no dengue fever patients were confirmed last year” and “the number of dengue fever patients is increasing this year as the number of overseas travelers increases due to easing of COVID-19 quarantine guidelines.”
Dengue fever is transmitted by the bite of an Aedes mosquito infected with the dengue virus. It is an acute febrile illness accompanied by headache, musculoskeletal pain, and rash after an incubation period of 3 to 14 days (usually 4 to 7 days). Depending on age, the severity or clinical features of the disease may vary.
The clinical course proceeds with the febrile phase, the acute phase and the convalescent phase. Fever usually lasts 2 to 7 days, and mild bleeding symptoms such as headache, body aches, joint pain, skin rashes, and oral bleeding may occur. In children, dehydration can cause decreased consciousness or febrile seizures. The acute phase lasts 1 to 2 days after resolution of the fever and continues until the 4th day. Most patients recover during this time. However, because patients with severe plasma leaks can develop a severe dengue infection, it is important to treat them without delay in the early stages of onset.
Reporter Kang Young-yeon yykang@hankyung.com
