Photo: ANP
Travelers
The virus can also get here from travelers. Some contract the infection unnoticed, travel back home and are then bitten by a ‘normal’ mosquito, which then spreads the virus further. But according to Koopmans, this has only caused small outbreaks so far. “Because the conditions in Europe are not yet optimal for the mosquito.”
“The symptoms can vary,” says Koopmans. “Most people don’t notice it much. Those who do develop complaints mainly have fever and rash, for example red bumps on arms and chest, or may develop painful joints.” The symptoms can be worse if people get an infection a second or third time. “But it does not have to be the case that you contract an infection with every mosquito bite,” Koopmans emphasizes.
Needed to travel
Sara Lesscher (21) contracted the virus in Costa Rica. She contracted the virus from a mosquito bite. In the morning there was nothing wrong, she tells LINDA. But after a dip in the pool, she didn’t feel well. An hour later she had a high fever.
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She has blood drawn at the local hospital and explains her symptoms. The locals are already assumed to be the dengue virus. Once back in the Netherlands, she immediately goes to the hospital, where the final result will follow. “It was dengue, I felt so bad I could barely eat and ended up losing weight.”
Measures
In the end, everything turned out all right with Sara. But it is important to take measures in areas with many mosquitoes. For example, wear long-sleeved clothing, hang a mosquito net around the bed and use mosquito repellents such as deet and products containing diethyltoluamide. This reduces the risk of bites and therefore infections.
Should we now also be concerned in the Netherlands? “Not in the short term,” says Koopmans. “Ultimately, travelers in particular still have to take this into account. But as the planet warms, areas in Europe are becoming increasingly suitable for these types of infections.”
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2023-09-22 13:09:42
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