Cases will double in 2024

The number of dengue fever cases reported in the Community of Madrid in 2024 increased to 76all are imported, representing a doubling of the number reported in the same period in 2023, according to the latest data from the Infectious Disease Surveillance and Control Division of the General Administration of Public Health Surveillance.

This same week World Health Organization (WHO) warned of an increase in dengue fever cases due to changing of the climate And globalization, among other reasons. According to the latest data, as of June 20, more 9.6 million cases dengue fever (4.7 million confirmed cases), more than 19,000 serious cases and more than 5,000 deaths.

The increase in the number of cases is especially noticeable in the city region. America, where the number of cases is three times higher than reported for the same period in 2023, highlighting the acceleration of this health problem. At the moment, 90 countries They have active dengue transmission.

Dengue is an infection caused by the virus of the same name and transmitted through the bites of mosquitoes of the genus Aedesmostly A. aegypti And A. albopictus (tiger mosquito), which are widespread in areas of Central and South America, the Caribbean and South Asia.

The trend in the Community over the past two years indicates an increase in the number of dengue cases: 138 cases in 2023 and 124 in 2022, and a significant jump compared to 2021, with a low of 13 in the last five years.

In the first 24 weeks of 2024, until June 16, there was 76 caseswhich is double (+105.4%) the figures recorded in the same period last year, according to data from the latest weekly epidemiological bulletin of the Community of Madrid, collected by Europa Press.

Thus, Epidemic index (EI) –number of cases reported up to the corresponding week of the current year, divided by the number of cases reported during the same period of the previous year — in the region 2.5which implies high morbidity.

Dengue is a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes, one of the most 10 threats to global public healthAccording to the World Health Organization (WHO).

In Europe, reported cases are mostly travel-related. However, since 2010, sporadic cases of dengue have been reported in five countries: Croatia, France, Italy, Portugal (Madeira) and Spain. In 2023, autochthonous cases were reported in three countries: Italy (82), France (45) and Spain (3).

However, no local cases of dengue have yet been reported in Europe in 2024, although summer has not yet begun when the mosquito vectors become active.

Distributed in more than 125 countries, this virus causes 390 million infections And 500,000 hospitalizations worldwide and is the second most diagnosed cause of fever in travelers returning to Europe from endemic countries.

Another tiger mosquito

One of the potential vectors of dengue fever are mosquitoes. Aedes albopictus (tiger mosquito). It is an invasive mosquito that is black in color with a white line from the head to the thorax and white spots on the legs and abdomen.

This insect is native to Southeast Asia but is now found on all five continents and has spread rapidly across Europe since it was discovered in Albania in 1979. It was first discovered in Catalonia in 2004 and has continued to spread ever since. first along the Mediterranean coast and then through the interior and urban areas, with a special presence also in the Community of Madrid.

In a specific case of the region, the General Directorate of Public Health of the Community of Madrid detected the presence of the tiger mosquito in 2018 (Aedes albopictus) in the urbanization of Velilla de San Antonio, whereas a year earlier eggs of this species and adults were not found. Since 2016, the Community of Madrid has established Entomological Surveillance Network tiger mosquito.

Very dependent on weather conditions, especially sensitive to drying out, they reproduce in small containers that accumulate stagnant water for more than a week. Reproductive periods vary depending on temperature, with periods of greatest activity estimated to be between May and November.

Their bites are very irritating and sometimes cause allergic reactions of varying severity. They can transmit diseases such as dengue, Zika and chikungunya, although the likelihood is low as they are not common diseases in the Madrid community.

Although there is currently no specific treatment for dengue fever, early detection and appropriate medical care to manage cases can significantly reduce mortality.

Control measures

To prevent it there were World Health Organization (WHO) recommends integrated vector management (IVM) to control mosquito populations and reduce human contact with vectors, including eliminating potential breeding sites, reducing vector populations, and minimizing individual exposure.

Specific actions include vector control strategies for larval and adult mosquitoes, as well as source reduction, especially water storage practices, and include weekly covering, draining and cleaning of household water storage containers, use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets, and indoor misting (fogging).

At the individual level, protective measures include topical application of repellents to exposed skin or clothing, and wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants; Using household insecticidal sprays or mosquito coils and window and door screens can reduce the likelihood of mosquitoes entering your home.