Clinical Updates
9 June 2009
Dengue activity – global update
Dengue is endemic in many tropical areas including South East Asia, the Indian subcontinent, the Caribbean, South and Central America, northern Australia and the islands of the South Pacific. A map outlining potential risk areas for dengue can be found in the NaTHNaC Health Information Sheet on Dengue.
This update reports on verified dengue activity to date in 2009. It is not a comprehensive listing of all outbreaks, and other, unverified outbreaks have been reported in 2009. Verified and some unverified outbreaks of dengue in individual countries are detailed on the NaTHNaC Outbreak Surveillance Database.
Asia
Malaysia and Viet Nam have reported the largest numbers of cases of dengue to date in 2009. During the first 17 weeks of the year, Malaysia reported 18,401 cases [1]. As of 9 June 2009, Viet Nam reported 16,635 cases, a 45% increase compared to 11,447 cases reported during the whole of 2008 [2].
Between January to May 2009, Thailand reported 12,787 cases of dengue [3]. Since 2007, an increase in dengue cases has been observed in Swedish travellers to Thailand, with 17 cases reported in January 2009 alone [4].
According to unverified sources, 8,086 cases of dengue have been reported in Jakarta, Indonesia between January and March 2009. Thirty percent of the cases occurred in East Jakarta [5].
Cases have also been reported in the Philippines and Singapore [1].
Indian subcontinent
As of 2 June 2009, Sri Lanka has reported 7,047 suspected cases, an 8% increase compared to 6,555 cases reported during the whole of 2008 [6].
As of 29 April 2009, India has reported 899 cases of dengue [7]. The majority of cases have occurred in the southern Indian state of Kerala.
Central and South America and the Caribbean
Large numbers of dengue cases continue to be reported in many countries in the region to date in 2009, including the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Martinique, St Martin and Trinidad and Tobago, and the Dominican Republic [8].
The largest numbers of cases have been reported from Brazil, with 226,513 cases of dengue reported during the first 15 weeks of the year. Bolivia has reported 59,937 cases and Argentina 24,720 cases during the first 20 weeks of the year [8].
Western Pacific
In Australia, dengue outbreaks are currently being reported in several districts in North Queensland. The majority of cases have occurred in Cairns, with 899 confirmed cases as of 28 May 2009 [9].
In New Caledonia, cases of dengue have been increasingly reported since the end of 2008. The number of cases peaked in March 2009 when 3,412 cases were reported [10].
In French Polynesia, unverified reports have suggested an increased number of dengue cases, with 1,000 cases reported in Tahiti since January 2009 [11].
Advice for travellers
There is no vaccine available to protect against dengue. Travellers to endemic areas can reduce their risk of infection by the dengue virus by practising mosquito bite avoidance measures. Aedes mosquitoes responsible for transmitting dengue are active during daylight hours. Particular vigilance with bite avoidance should be taken around dawn and dusk.
The risk of dengue in individual countries can be found on the NaTHNaC Country Information Pages.
References
1. World Health Organization Western Pacific Region. Number of reported cases of dengue and dengue haemorrhagic fever in the Western Pacific region, by country: figures for 2009. 30 April 2009. [Accessed 8 June 2009]. Available at: http://www.wpro.who.int/NR/rdonlyres/3C44FCF3-78D2-4655-BBEC-046DC7E2BCBB/0/Dengue_WPRO_2009_300409.pdf2. World Health Organization Western Pacific Region. Dengue fever threatens again in Western Pacific region. 9 June 2009. [Accessed 9 June 2009]. Available at http://www.wpro.who.int/media_centre/news/news_20090906
3. Bureau of Epidemiology, Department of Disease Control. Reported cases and deaths by province and by month – dengue fever, dengue haemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome. [Accessed 8 June 2009]. Available at http://203.157.15.4/surdata/disease.php?ds=66 [In Thai].
4. Heddini A, Janzon R, Linde A. Increased number of dengue cases in Swedish travellers to Thailand. 2009; 14: 5 February. [Accessed 8 June 2009]. Available at http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=
5. ProMED-mail. Dengue/DHF update 2009 (14). 6 April 2009: 20090406.1341. [Accessed 8 June 2009]. Available at http://apex.oracle.com/pls/otn/f?p=2400:1001:8139661847719
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6. Ministry of Health Sri Lanka. Distribution of suspected DF/DHF by week, Sri Lanka. 2 June 2009. [Accessed 8 June 2009]. Available at http://www.epid.gov.lk/pdf/DHF_2009/week21.pdf
7. Government of India. National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme. Dengue situation in the country. 29 April 2009. [Accessed 8 June 2009]. Available at http://www.nvbdcp.gov.in/DENGU1.html
8. Pan American Health Organization. Number of reported cases of dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) in the Americas, by country: figures for 2009. 21 May 2009. [Accessed 8 June 2009]. Available at http://new.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_docman&task
9. Queensland Government. Dengue in north Queensland outbreak update. 28 may 2009. [Accessed 8 June 2009]. Available at http://www.health.qld.gov.au/dengue/outbreak_update/
10. Government de la Nouvelle Calédonie. La dengue. 2 June 2009. [In French][Accessed 8 June 2009]. Available at http://www.dass.gouv.nc/portal/page/portal/dass/sante/themes
11. ProMED-mail. Dengue/DHF update 2009 (22). 1 June 2009: 20090601.2040 [Accessed 8 June 2009]. Available at http://apex.oracle.com/pls/otn/f?p=2400:1001:8139661847719
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