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Mosquitoes are nothing more than parasites for many. But the Asian tiger mosquito is a real danger. it can carry and carry pathogens such as the dengue virus. The prevalence of dengue fever is well documented in Asia and Latin America. Researchers from the Medical Center of the University of Leipzig also reported on this disease in African Sudan
Leipzig – Dengue fever is a viral disease transmitted by the tiger mosquito (Aedes) from a person to another. The virus is present worldwide in tropical and subtropical regions and is the most common insect-borne disease. It is estimated that 50 to 100 million infections occur each year. While many countries in Asia and Latin America are experiencing the spread of dengue, there are no accurate numbers in Africa. Scientists from the Leipzig University Medical Center, in collaboration with African colleagues, have studied the prevalence of dengue virus infection in some parts of Sudan.
Infected up to nine out of ten people
60 to 90 percent of the 483 people studied showed evidence of one or more previous infections with the dengue virus. In total, there are four types of dengue virus, multiple infection is possible. Scientists discovered that dengue infections were particularly prevalent in the port city of Port Sudan on the Red Sea. There, more than 90 percent of adults had been infected with the virus. A little less common was the infection in the Sudanese parts of Kbadala and North Kordofan.
"Travelers should always be aware of the risk of dengue virus infection and protect themselves.This applies in Sudan as well as in other countries. tropical and subtropical ", recommends Prof. Dr. med. Christian Jbadoy. The scientist is professor of virology university at the Faculty of Medicine and works at the Institute of Virology at the University Hospital Leipzig. His group of scientists with Tom Schüttoff and Dr. med. Sven Reiche and three African colleagues in Sudan conducted research on Dr. med's initiative. Awadalkareem Adam. They received support from the Sudanese Ministry of Health.
What can be done?
Most of the time, infection with the dengue virus goes unnoticed, with little or no discomfort. In about one-third of those infected, there is fever, severe fatigue, headache and body aches. The disease usually heals within a week, but fatigue can persist for several weeks. In rare cases, the infection causes internal bleeding and shock. Then the illness ends without intensive medical care sometimes fatal.
"The best protection against Denguevirus infection is rubbing with an insect repellent," says Jbadoy. "Long-distance travelers buy what's best in Germany." Mosquitoes need heat, so you're safe in the air-conditioned rooms of mosquito bites. Some countries in Latin America and Africa have recently vaccinated against dengue fever. The World Health Organization has issued recommendations to this effect, but travelers have not yet suggested vaccination.
Adam Awadalkareem, Tom Schüttoff, Sven Reiche, Christian Jbadoy: High seroprevalence of dengue virus indicates that dengue virus infections are common in central and eastern Sudan. Tropical Medicine and International Health (2018), DOI: 10.1111 / tmi.13116
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P. Darius, University of Leipzig, 04109 Leipzig
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