[Dengue imported from Paraguay to Buenos Aires. Clinical and epidemiological report of 38 cases].
Thirty eight patients with classic dengue fever, were studied from December 1999 up to April 2000. All of them acquired the infection in Paraguay; 66% of patients arrived at Buenos Aires metropolitan area within the viremia period. Given Aedes aegypti abundance in the region they represent a high risk for local transmission. Unusual clinical findings in these patients were diarrhea (29%), transitory rise of seric aspartate aminotransferase (52%) and pruritic rash in all cases. Only 15.7% showed a biphasic course and none of the five patients with hemorrhages had a positive loop test. These observations show that dengue fever could be misdiagnosed as gastroenteritis or flue-like illness. These patients remain at risk of suffering hemorrhagic dengue. DEN 1 has not been reported in Buenos Aires. This fact and the unusual number of imported cases, represent a serious public health problem.
Seijo
A
A
Servicio de Zoonosis, Hospital de Enfermedades infecciosas Francisco J Muñiz, Buenos Aires. acseijo@infovia.com.ar
Cernigoi
B
B
Deodato
B
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000330:Aedes; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D003715:Dengue / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010239:Paraguay / Q000453:epidemiology