Imported Dengue Infection in a Spanish Hospital with a High Proportion of Travelers from Africa: A 9-Year Retrospective Study.
Epidemiological data on dengue in Africa are still scarce. We investigated imported dengue infection among travelers with a high proportion of subjects from Africa over a 9-year period. From January 2005 to December 2013, blood samples from travelers with clinical suspicion of dengue were analyzed. Dengue was diagnosed using serological, antigen detection, and molecular methods. Subjects were classified according to birthplace (Europeans versus non-Europeans) and last country visited. Overall, 10,307 serum samples corresponding to 8,295 patients were studied; 62% were European travelers, most of them from Spain, and 35.9% were non-Europeans, the majority of whom were born in Africa (mainly Equatorial Guinea) and Latin America (mainly Bolivia, Ecuador, and Colombia). A total of 492 cases of dengue were identified, the highest number of cases corresponding to subjects who had traveled from Africa (N= 189), followed by Latin America (N= 174) and Asia (N= 113). The rate of cases for Africa (4.5%) was inferior to Asia (9%) and Latin America (6.1%). Three peaks of dengue were found (2007, 2010, and 2013) which correlated with African cases. A total of 2,157 of past dengue infections were diagnosed. Non-Europeans who had traveled from Africa had the highest rate of past infection (67.8%), compared with non-Europeans traveling from Latin America (38.7%) or Asia (35%). Dengue infection in certain regions of Africa is underreported and the burden of the disease may have a magnitude similar to endemic countries in Latin America. It is necessary to consider dengue in the differential diagnosis of other febrile diseases in Africa.
Service of Microbiology and Parasitology, Carlos III Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
Carlos
C
Toro
Investigación Hospital La Paz (IdiPAZ), La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
Patricia
P
Trevisi
Investigación Hospital La Paz (IdiPAZ), La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
Beatriz
B
López-Quintana
National Centre of Tropical Medicine, Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain.
Aránzazu
A
Amor
Investigación Hospital La Paz (IdiPAZ), La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
Nuria
N
Iglesias
Service of Microbiology and Parasitology, Carlos III Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
Mercedes
M
Subirats
Tropical Diseases Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Carlos III Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
Concepción Ladrón
CL
de Guevara
Tropical Diseases Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Carlos III Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
Mar
M
Lago
Tropical Diseases Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Carlos III Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
Marta
M
Arsuaga
Tropical Diseases Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Carlos III Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
Fernando
F
de la Calle-Prieto
Service of Internal Medicine, Quironsalud University Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
Dolores
D
Herrero
School of Biomedical Sciences, European University, Madrid, Spain.
Margarita
M
Rubio
Tropical Diseases Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Carlos III Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
Sabino
S
Puente
Service of Microbiology and Parasitology, Carlos III Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
Margarita
M
Baquero
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa / Q000208:ethnology; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003715:Dengue / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology*; D003716:Dengue Virus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D007843:Latin America / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D014195:Travel; D055815:Young Adult
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D007075:Immunoglobulin M