The Secretariat of Public Health of the Generalitat of Catalonia detected five mild cases of dengue fever in Vila-seca (Tarragona)although the focus is already under control. Two people were admitted to the Joan XXIII Hospital in Tarragona and later discharged, another was symptomatic but did not require hospitalization and the other two were asymptomatic patients.
“In Catalonia, an epidemic of indigenous transmission of dengue is being studied in the region of Tarragona,” said the Ministry of Health.
Dengue fever is a viral disease transmitted by mosquito bites and its symptoms are high fever, joint and muscle pain, severe headache, nausea, vomiting or skin rash.
“Although the cases detected in Vila-seca are mild, the health authorities recommend that citizens be attentive to the symptoms and, in case of suspicion, go immediately to the primary care center (CAP) closest to receive adequate medical care,” they emphasize from Public Health.
The Vila-seca City Council assures that it has intensified, in recent days, mosquito repellent treatments and on Sunday, citizens reported through social networks: “From Health, they inform us and ask us to give advice to the population to protect themselves from mosquitoes and have green spaces and spaces without puddles.”
In previous years, cases of autochthonous dengue fever had already been diagnosed in Catalonia, that is, not associated with the movement of people.
Dengue fever is a viral disease transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes, mainly of the genus Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. It is common in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Dengue virus It belongs to the Flavivirus family and has four different serotypes (DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3 and DEN-4), which means that a person can be infected up to four times in their lifetime.
Symptoms of dengue fever:
High fever
severe headache
Pain behind the eyes
Muscle and joint pain
Nausea and vomiting
Skin rashes
extreme fatigue
In some cases, Dengue fever can develop into more serious formssuch as severe dengue fever (formerly known as dengue hemorrhagic fever), which can cause bleeding, plasma leakage and organ damage, which can be fatal if not treated properly.
Prevention:
Since there is no specific treatment for dengue fever, the best way to prevent it is to avoid mosquito bites. This includes:
Use repellents
Wear clothing that covers the skin
Place mosquito nets
Eliminate mosquito breeding sites, such as containers with standing water. There is also a vaccine approved in some countries, called Dengvaxia, but its use is limited to people who have already been infected.
