Dengue fever: differential diagnosis of fever in travelers

Martínez Oviedo A, Alonso Formento E, Calpe Gil, MJ, Martínez Burgui JA

Dengue fever is a mosquito-transmitted viral disease that affects a large portion of the

world’s population. Symptoms are flu-like and usually self-limiting. More serious forms

affect mainly patients with a history of prior infection by another serotype. Severe forms

include hemorrhagic fever, involving episodes of bleeding and progression to shock,

multiorgan failure, and death. We report the case of a woman who was infected with the

dengue virus during the first trimester of pregnancy. The outcome was satisfactory, with

no hemorrhagic episodes. Pregnancy ended with normal delivery of a healthy boy.

Vertical transmission of the dengue virus is rare, occurring in around 1% of cases and

generally when infection takes place near the time of birth. Dengue fever should be

suspected in patients whose fever coincides with travel to tropical regions. Hemorrhagic

complications should be anticipated and early treatment started.

Alonso Formento E, Calpe Gil, MJ, Martínez Burgui JA, Martínez Oviedo A