Viremic Dengue virus infections in travellers: potential for local outbreak in Northern Italy

Abstract

Dengue virus infection is a growing global problem and reports of outbreaks in Asia and Latin America as well as sporadic infections in international travellers are increasing. Two imported cases of serotype-1 Dengue virus infection in a Northern Italy region with high density of Aedes albopictus vector are described: a 27-year-old man returning from Bali and a 25-years-old woman returning from Brazil. In both patients, viremia lasted for several days before disappearance. These cases stress the importance of investigating Dengue virus infections in febrile travellers, point to the potential for local outbreak of Dengue virus infection and emphasize the necessity of maintaining surveillance in non-endemic countries.