Be alert to Dengue

In an interview with MJA Insight, Dr Alex Tai, one of the authors of a research paper on the management of dengue in Australian travellers, warns that Australian clinicians should be familiar with the clinical manifestations of dengue, key warning signs of severe dengue, and with its management. This warning, comes after a retrospective analysis of confirmed dengue cases showed that a significant proportion of patients were misdiagnosed with one-fifth prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs putting them at risk of life-threatening complications.

Dengue is one of the things that need to be thought about in unwell patients returning from overseas, particularly if they’ve been travelling in countries like Indonesia or Thailand. Patients known to be travelling to such countries should be provided with up-to-date information on mosquito borne viruses and on how to prevent mosquito bites.