Diagnosis and Management of Dengue Fever in a Nonendemic Country: Lessons From an Acute Febrile Illness in Iran During the COVID-19 Outbreak
Abstract
Dengue fever is a tropical arboviral disease that presents with a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations and can occasionally emerge in nonendemic regions due to factors such as international travel. This case report details a 47-year-old Iranian man who had recently returned from Jakarta, Indonesia, presenting with fever, diarrhea, vomiting, and myalgia during the COVID-19 outbreak. Despite initial misdiagnoses, dengue fever was confirmed through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. Moreover, the serological analysis using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) further demonstrated the presence of both IgM and IgG antibodies against the dengue virus. Initially, the patient's symptoms overlapped with COVID-19 and gastrointestinal infections, complicating the diagnosis. The management included supportive care, precautions against bleeding, fluid therapy, and empirical antibiotics due to suspected coinfections. This case highlights the importance of considering travel history and the possibility of nonendemic diseases in the differential diagnosis of febrile illnesses of unknown origin (FUO), particularly during concurrent outbreaks. Comprehensive history-taking and rigorous diagnostic evaluation are essential in such cases.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a case report, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Patient-Centered Pharmaceutical Design to Improve Acceptability of Medicines: Similarities and Differences in Paediatric and Geriatric Populations
- Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for irritable bowel syndrome 2020
- Phase 2b Study of Pimodivir (JNJ-63623872) as Monotherapy or in Combination With Oseltamivir for Treatment of Acute Uncomplicated Seasonal Influenza A: TOPAZ Trial
- Gastrointestinal manifestations in COVID-19
- COVID-19 and Gastrointestinal Disease: Implications for the Gastroenterologist
- Persistent gut barrier damage and commensal bacterial influx following eradication of Giardia infection in mice
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.