If suitable mosquito vectors are present in a region, returning infected travellers can initiate local transmission
Dengue outbreaks outside their usual geographic distribution — the subtropics and tropics of Asia, Africa, and Latin America — always attract media attention. The first major autochthonous dengue outbreaks in Europe were in Madeira (Portugal) in 2012;1 smaller clusters have been reported in France, Croatia,2 and Italy.3 Despite suitable mosquito vectors, the seasonal window for the establishment of dengue in Europe is short and the risk of its propagation, even in southern Europe, is low.4 It could, however, increase with global warming;5 for example, importation of dengue into more temperate climate zones in China has resulted in local outbreaks in cities such as Shanghai.6
The full article is accessible to AMA members and paid subscribers. Login to read more or purchase a subscription now.
Please note: institutional and Research4Life access to the MJA is now provided through Wiley Online Library.
- 1. Wilder‐Smith A, Quam M, Sessions O, et al. The 2012 dengue outbreak in Madeira: exploring the origins. Euro Surveill 2014; 19: 20718.
- 2. Tomasello D, Schlagenhauf P. Chikungunya and dengue autochthonous cases in Europe, 2007–2012. Travel Med Infect Dis 2013; 11: 274–284.
- 3. Lazzarini L, Barzon L, Foglia F, et al. First autochthonous dengue outbreak in Italy, August 2020. Euro Surveill 2020; 25: 2001606.
- 4. Massad E, Amaku M, Coutinho FAB, et al. Estimating the probability of dengue virus introduction and secondary autochthonous cases in Europe. Sci Rep 2018; 8: 4629.
- 5. Lillepold K, Rocklöv J, Liu‐Helmersson J, et al. More arboviral disease outbreaks in continental Europe due to the warming climate? J Travel Med 2019; 26: taz017.
- 6. Ma Y, Li S, Wan Z, et al. Phylogenetic analyses of dengue virus serotypes imported to Shanghai, China. J Travel Med 2020; 27: taaa195.
- 7. Ritchie SA, Pyke AT, Hall‐Mendelin S, et al. An explosive epidemic of DENV‐3 in Cairns, Australia. PLoS One 2013; 8: e68137.
- 8. Masyeni S, Yohan B, Somia IKA, et al. Dengue infection in international travellers visiting Bali, Indonesia. J Travel Med 2018; 25: tay061.
- 9. Walker J, Pyke A, Florian P, et al. Re‐defining the dengue‐receptive area of Queensland after the 2019 dengue outbreak in Rockhampton. Med J Aust 2021; 215: 182.
- 10. Russell RC, Currie BJ, Lindsay MD, et al. Dengue and climate change in Australia: predictions for the future should incorporate knowledge from the past. Med J Aust 2009; 190: 265–268. https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2009/190/5/dengue-and-climate-change-australia-predictions-future-should-incorporate
- 11. Queensland Health. Queensland dengue management plan 2015‒2020. Sept 2015. https://www.health.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0022/444433/dengue-mgt-plan.pdf (viewed July 2021).
- 12. Trewin BJ, Kay BH, Darbro JM, Hurst TP. Increased container‐breeding mosquito risk owing to drought‐induced changes in water harvesting and storage in Brisbane, Australia. Int Health 2013; 5: 251–258.
- 13. van den Hurk AF, Nicholson J, Beebe NW, et al. Ten years of the Tiger: Aedes albopictus presence in Australia since its discovery in the Torres Strait in 2005. One Health 2016; 2: 19–24.
- 14. Montgomery BL, Shivas MA, Hall‐Mendelin S, et al. Rapid Surveillance for Vector Presence (RSVP): development of a novel system for detecting Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11: e0005505.
- 15. Utarini A, Indriani C, Ahmad RA, et al; AWED Study Group. Efficacy of Wolbachia‐infected mosquito deployments for the control of dengue. N Engl J Med 2021; 384: 2177–2186.
- 16. Ritchie SA. Wolbachia and the near cessation of dengue outbreaks in Northern Australia despite continued dengue importations via travellers. J Travel Med 2018; 25: tay084.
No relevant disclosures.