PREVALENCE OF INFECTION WITH DENGUE VIRUS AMONG INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS

Background: Dengue has been recognized as a potential hazard to touris ts. A prospective, controlled study in the outpatient clinic of a Germ an infectious disease clinic was conducted to assess the prevalence of dengue virus infection among international travelers. Methods: Serum samples from 130 patients with signs or recent history clinically comp atible with dengue (fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, or rash), 95 matched controls with diarrhea, and 26 patients who never visited a country endemic for dengue were investigated. Results: Nine (6.9%) of the 130 patients with compatible symptoms and 1 (1%) of the 95 contro ls with diarrhea developed rising antibody titers against dengue virus . Of these 10 patients with probable dengue infection, 6 had been to T hailand, 2 to Malaysia, and 1 each to Indonesia and Brazil. Conclusion s: Infection with dengue virus appears to be a realistic threat to tra velers to Southeast Asia. Symptoms commonly associated with dengue, su ch as fever, myalgia, arthralgia, and vomiting, can be helpful for dia gnosis when present, but the absence of typical symptoms does not excl ude infection.