Dengue in Thailand: a second infection can be deadly
Hemorrhagic dengue kills 50% of patients without hospital care, and the second infection is the most dangerous. The tiger mosquito has already reached Spain. Key figures everyone should know.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Dengue in Thailand: 50% mortality without medical care
Hemorrhagic dengue kills half of the patients who do not receive hospital care. With admission to hospital, mortality drops to 1%. These are figures worth keeping in mind before romanticizing life in Southeast Asia, where millions of cases are reported every year.
Unlike other diseases, dengue does not produce lasting immunity. People who have had it in the Caribbean say the second infection was far more severe: instead of protecting the body, the immune response amplifies the infection. The data back up that experience: with four serotypes in circulation, a second exposure to a different serotype multiplies the risk of hemorrhagic dengue.
Meanwhile, the vector is no longer an exotic problem. The tiger mosquito has become established in Madrid, specifically in the Casa de Campo park, and analyses suggest that malaria and dengue could return to areas such as the Guadalquivir delta or the Albufera wetland near Valencia. There is almost an irony in the fact that the cities of Valencia and Castellón were built inland out of antiestéticar of Turkish raids, and that this same distance from the coast may now serve as a shield against mosquitoes.
The question is not whether dengue will reach Spain: the question is how long it will take and whether the health system is prepared for a disease that is still considered imported there.
Hemorrhagic dengue kills half of the patients who do not receive hospital care. With admission to hospital, mortality drops to 1%. These are figures worth keeping in mind before romanticizing life in Southeast Asia, where millions of cases are reported every year.
Unlike other diseases, dengue does not produce lasting immunity. People who have had it in the Caribbean say the second infection was far more severe: instead of protecting the body, the immune response amplifies the infection. The data back up that experience: with four serotypes in circulation, a second exposure to a different serotype multiplies the risk of hemorrhagic dengue.
Meanwhile, the vector is no longer an exotic problem. The tiger mosquito has become established in Madrid, specifically in the Casa de Campo park, and analyses suggest that malaria and dengue could return to areas such as the Guadalquivir delta or the Albufera wetland near Valencia. There is almost an irony in the fact that the cities of Valencia and Castellón were built inland out of antiestéticar of Turkish raids, and that this same distance from the coast may now serve as a shield against mosquitoes.
The question is not whether dengue will reach Spain: the question is how long it will take and whether the health system is prepared for a disease that is still considered imported there.
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (20 replies).
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