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Marta Fdez. Vallejo
Madrid
Tuesday, 11 April 2023, 12:21
The mosquito-borne virus dengue fever has arrived in Spain, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.
The health body revealed that the mosquito which transmits dengue fever was now present in southern Europe and could cause cases during spring and summer.
It comes after Germany notified Spain in February of the detection of two outbreaks in the Balearic Islands which affected six Germans who returned home from their travels ill.
Technical head of the WHO's global programme for the control of tropical diseases, Diana Rojas, sounded the alarm a few days ago.
"Climate change has accelerated its spread. The increase in the number of countries where this mosquito has become established is alarming,” she said.
“We are now seeing transmission where we did not see it before. There are already autochthonous cases in southern Europe. So the risk is there and we must be prepared.”
A warning was also issued by the Carlos III Institute in Madrid: "There is an increasing risk due to the globalisation of travel and migration and the effect of climate change".
Where it lives
The 'Aedes albopictus' species - known as the tiger mosquito - is native to Southeast Asia's tropical rainforest, but has spread around the world over the past three decades.
The Spanish Ministry of Health confirmed that it was now present throughout the Spanish Mediterranean area and the Balearic Islands, and in inland and northern parts of the country.
It is most active between May and November and the risk of new autochthonous cases in Spain during that period was "moderate", the ministry said in a risk assessment document published after an outbreak was reported in Ibiza a few weeks ago.
How to recognise it
The mosquito is black, with a distinctive white stripe on the thorax, striped legs and measures between 2 and 10 millimetres.
Its preferred habitat is in humid areas and rural environments with dense vegetation, although they also live in urban environments where they find water.
They move from one area to another in vehicles, experts from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) suggested. Research carried out in Barcelona showed that five out of every 1,000 vehicles driving around the metropolitan area in summer carried a tiger mosquito.
Symptoms
Between 40% and 80% of dengue cases are asymptomatic, but if it does cause symptoms, they are similar to those of the flu.
It causes high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyeballs, muscle and joint pain, nausea, vomiting or rash.
Only 5% of infections lead to dengue haemorrhagic or severe dengue, which can be life-threatening, especially for vulnerable patients such as children, the sick or the elderly.
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