Dengue infections double in Britain
Source: Agencies |
May 12, 2011, Thursday
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CASES of dengue fever have more than doubled in Britain in the past year with the majority of infections linked to travel to India, health officials said yesterday.
Data from the Health Protection Agency showed there were 406 cases of the mosquito-borne disease among Britons who traveled abroad during 2010, up from 166 reported cases in 2009.
Dengue fever does not naturally occur in Britain, and the highest proportion of cases were associated with travel to India, with 84 cases, and Thailand, with 61 cases, the agency said.
"These figures demonstrate that the importance of taking precautions to avoid mosquito bites extends to protecting against other infections, not just malaria," said Dr Jane Jones, head of the agency's travel and migrant health section.
The increase is linked to a 34 percent rise in chikungunya cases, another mosquito-borne infection.
Global incidence of dengue fever has grown dramatically in recent decades. The World Health Organization found around 2.5 billion people are at risk from dengue and there are an estimated 50 million dengue infections worldwide every year.
Jones said travelers should wear covering clothing and use insect repellents to avoid mosquito bites, since those that spread dengue and chikungunya bite in the daytime, while malaria mosquitoes are mainly active at night.
Data from the Health Protection Agency showed there were 406 cases of the mosquito-borne disease among Britons who traveled abroad during 2010, up from 166 reported cases in 2009.
Dengue fever does not naturally occur in Britain, and the highest proportion of cases were associated with travel to India, with 84 cases, and Thailand, with 61 cases, the agency said.
"These figures demonstrate that the importance of taking precautions to avoid mosquito bites extends to protecting against other infections, not just malaria," said Dr Jane Jones, head of the agency's travel and migrant health section.
The increase is linked to a 34 percent rise in chikungunya cases, another mosquito-borne infection.
Global incidence of dengue fever has grown dramatically in recent decades. The World Health Organization found around 2.5 billion people are at risk from dengue and there are an estimated 50 million dengue infections worldwide every year.
Jones said travelers should wear covering clothing and use insect repellents to avoid mosquito bites, since those that spread dengue and chikungunya bite in the daytime, while malaria mosquitoes are mainly active at night.
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