Mazzini’s Infectious Diseases Department diagnoses a case of Dengue. It is a rare disease transmitted to humans by mosquito bites that have, in turn, stung an infected person, typical of tropical and sub-tropical areas. It was contracted by a 40-year-old woman from Teramo who returned from Cuba on 9 August. The woman already abroad accused a flu-like symptomatology with fever and once she returned home, yesterday she went to the emergency room of the Teramo hospital for the appearance of petechial lesions in the legs.
The First Aid team immediately interested in the case that of the UOSD of Infectious Diseases, directed by Antonella D’Alonzo, who promptly contacted the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, in particular with the National Reference Laboratory for Arbovirus from the Infectious Diseases Department, suspecting it was Dengue. Samples were sent to the Roman laboratory this morning and confirmation of Dengue’s diagnosis arrived around 1pm.
Dr. D’Alonzo immediately activated the procedures for reporting the case. The Siesp has been called and is proceeding with the disinfestation of the areas adjacent to the woman’s home. The patient is admitted to the Infectious Diseases ward, in isolation, and undergoes treatment and further investigations. The health conditions of the woman are fair, the vital parameters are good and the blood values are constantly monitored for the risk of bleeding episodes.
It is not the first time that the Infectious Diseases department makes timely diagnosis of rare infectious diseases. The last case concerns the so-called monkeypox, diagnosed about two weeks ago in a Teramo patient. Furthermore, in 2020 the same department diagnosed the first case of Covid in Abruzzo on a family on holiday in Roseto. The department also distinguished itself in early therapies on Sars-Coc2 infections: over 500 therapies performed with monoclonal antibodies and over 250 those with antivirals. Considerable experience gained in ventilation techniques during the Covid emergency, as well as high skills in the application of antibiotic therapies for multidrug-resistant germs.
In the UOSD there is also an outpatient clinic in which patients with HIV infections and hepatitis C and B are followed, as well as a diagnostic-therapeutic day hospital. We also perform state-of-the-art instrumental examinations such as ARFI and Fibroscan, as well as basic ultrasound examinations. The ward has 11 Covid beds and 6 Covid-free infectious disease beds.
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