A case of “Dengue fever” in Moncalieri.
It is a man who recently returned from a trip to South America and who, feeling ill, had decided to go for tests at the Amedeo di Savoia hospital in Turin.
This was reported by the Regional Epidemiological Service. After blood tests, the case was confirmed today, Friday 23 June 2023. Now the man is still hospitalized but his conditions would improve markedly: his life is not in danger.
However, the Municipality of Moncalieri, as a precaution, has launched an extraordinary campaign of mosquito disinfestation treatments in the Borgo Aje and Borgo Vittoria districts through the interventions of Ipla technicians (Institute for Wood Plants and the Environment).
What is Dengue?
The Istituto Superiore di Sanità explains how dengue is of “viral” origin and is caused by four very similar viruses (Den-1, Den-2, Den-3 and Den-4) and is transmitted to humans by mosquito bites which have, in turn, stung an infected person. There is therefore no direct contagion between humans, even if humans are the main host of the virus. The virus circulates in the blood of the infected person for 2-7 days, and in during this period the mosquito can pick it up and transmit it to others.
In the western hemisphere, the main vector is the Aedes aegypti mosquito, although cases transmitted by Aedes albopictus have been reported. Dengue has been known for over two centuries, and is particularly present during and after the rainy season in tropical and subtropical areas of Africa, Southeast Asia and China, India, the Middle East, Latin and Central America, Australia and various parts of the Pacific. In recent decades, the prevalence of dengue has increased in many tropical regions. In the countries of the northern hemisphere, particularly in Europe, it constitutes a danger from a global health perspective, given that it manifests itself above all as an imported disease, the increase of which is due to the increased frequency of movement of goods and people.
Symptoms and diagnosis
Given the ISS, the disease normally gives rise to fever within 5-6 days of the mosquito bite, with even very high temperatures. The fever is accompanied by severe headaches, pain around and behind the eyes, severe pain in muscles and joints, nausea and vomiting, skin irritations which may appear over most of the body 3-4 days after the onset of fever. Typical symptoms are often absent in children.
Diagnosis is usually made based on symptoms, but may be more accurate by looking for the virus or specific antibodies in blood samples.
Prevention and treatment
The ISS explains how the most effective preventive measure against dengue consists in avoiding coming into contact with the mosquitoes that carry the virus. Therefore, practices such as the use of repellents, adequate and protective clothing, mosquito nets and tents become a priority. As mosquitoes are most active in the early morning hours, it’s especially important to use protection during this part of the day.
To reduce the risk of dengue epidemics, the most effective means is the systematic and continuous fight against the mosquito that acts as vector of the disease. This means eliminating all stagnant water near inhabited areas, and carrying out real disinfestation campaigns that reduce the Aedes population.
There is no specific treatment for dengue, and in most cases, people recover completely within two weeks. Supportive care for recovery consists of complete rest, use of fever-lowering medications, and fluids to combat dehydration. In some cases, tiredness and depression can persist even for a few weeks.
The disease can develop in the form of haemorrhagic fever with severe bleeding from different parts of the body which can cause full-blown collapse and, in rare cases, be fatal.
A series of vaccines are currently being studied, although knowledge of the virus and its mechanism of action have increased only in recent years, after an increase in the spread of the disease has been recorded. Unfortunately, having contracted dengue only protects the person against the virus that caused it but not against the other three viral types.