Madeira dengue fever outbreak tops 2,000 cases
In what is the first sustained transmission of dengue fever on the European continent in nine decades, Portuguese health authorities report that the Madeira Island dengue outbreak has topped 2,000 cases since its beginning in early October, according to a European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) news release Dec. 13.
According to the Portuguese Ministry of Health, as of Dec. 9, there has been 2,050 cases of dengue infection from the Autonomous Region of Madeira. This total is up from 1,993 cases reported four days prior.
During the current outbreak than began Oct. 3, 12 people required hospitalization for their illness.
Although the vast majority of the cases were in the local population, the number of European tourists to the island contracting the mosquito borne viral disease has continued to rise.
The ECDC reports, as of 12 December 2012, fifty-eight patients have been diagnosed with dengue after returning from Madeira. The United Kingdom has reported twenty cases, Germany fourteen cases, France three, Finland four, Croatia, Denmark, Norway and Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland have all reported one case each. In addition, ten persons were diagnosed with dengue infection after returning to mainland Portugal.
Health officials say that although the outbreak is slowing significantly, it is still ongoing and more cases are expected.
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[…] According to health officials, as of 16 December, 2,103 cases of dengue infection have been reported in Madeira. This is up from 2,050 cases the week prior. […]
[…] to the Portuguese Ministry of Health, as of Dec. 9, there has been 2,050 cases of dengue infection from the Autonomous Region of Madeira since the first cases were reported in early […]