The case of fever Dengue diagnosed a Moncalieri, a city of almost 60,000 inhabitants attached to Turin, renews the alert on the risk of diseases transmitted by mosquitoes. In the case of Dengue, the disease is endemic in tropical countries and the man had just returned from South America who accused the suspicious symptoms on Thursday evening later confirmed by clinical tests. The patient is not hospitalized and his general conditions do not give cause for concern – said the mayor of Moncalieri, Paolo Montagna, specifying that “the situation is under control”.
Yesterday the mayor had signed an ordinance to warn the population to take precautions and to start the prevention plan envisaged by the Seremi, the regional reference service for epidemics. The technicians of ipla (Institute for Wood Plants and the Environment), aided by the local police, intervened to destroy the larvae of the tiger mosquito, the vector insect of the infection, even in private properties, throughout the area potentially at risk.
Intervention ended today, but “in any case, the monitoring and joint work of all the bodies and institutions involved continues”, explained the mayor, recalling that “the recommendation remains alive, as provided for by the ordinance, to wait 15 days before consuming fruits and vegetables that have been grown in the treatment area, washing thoroughly and peeling the fruit before use”.
From the virologist John DiPerri, professor of Infectious Diseases at the University of Turin, the invitation not to create alarmism: “We have cases of Dengue – he explained – at least ten times a year. Most of the time they are outpatient and there is no not even need hospitalization”, as in the case of the patient from Moncalieri. “In over 90% of cases, in fact, Dengue remains in the form of an influenza-like disease. Only in rare cases does it present in the hemorrhagic form, which can be serious”.
So the last case has a good chance of remaining isolated and not creating infections. “One thing to know – adds Di Perri – is that the vector mosquito capable of transmitting dengue bites during the day, not in the evening or at night”.