Published on November 9, 2019, by Alief Esmail
Dengue is something that has been plaguing Malaysia since forever. Each year, the number of dengue cases is growing even though there are so many efforts aimed at exterminating the Aedes mosquito, the culprit behind the spread of dengue.
Well, when we thought things could not get any worse, Spanish health authorities have confirmed on Friday (8th November) that a man has spread dengue to his partner through sex, and it is the first-ever case in the world.
This case surfaced after a 41-year-old man contracted dengue after having sex with his male partner who was infected by the virus after being bitten by a mosquito in Cuba.
His infection was confirmed back in September and it was initially a mystery to the doctors there on how he was infected as he never visited any country where Dengue is common. His partner showed signs of the same symptoms, but not as severe as his.
Officer for Madrid’s health department, Susana Jimenez said, as quoted by New Straits Times,
“An analysis of their sperm was carried out and it revealed that not only did they have dengue but that it was exactly the same virus which circulates in Cuba.”
Hopefully, this strain of the dengue virus does not make its way to our waters as we are already facing serious troubles with the current dengue strain that we have here. But whatever it is, for those who are sexually active, it is best to have regular checkups to ensure you are not carrying any viruses which can infect those who are close to you.
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First case of sexually-transmitted dengue confirmed in Spain
By AFP – November 9, 2019
MADRID: Spanish health authorities confirmed Friday a case of a man spreading dengue through sex, a world first for a virus which until recently was thought to be transmitted only by mosquitos.
The case concerns a 41-year-old man from Madrid who contracted dengue after having sex with his male partner who picked up the virus from a mosquito bite during a trip to Cuba, said Susana Jimenez of the Madrid region’s public health department.
His dengue infection was confirmed in September and it puzzled doctors because he had not travelled to a country where the disease, which causes severe flu-like symptoms such as high fever and body aches, is common, she added.
“His partner presented the same symptoms as him but lighter around ten days earlier, and he had previously visited Cuba and the Dominican Republic,” Jimenez said.
“An analysis of their sperm was carried out and it revealed that not only did they have dengue but that it was exactly the same virus which circulates in Cuba.”
A “likely’ case of sexual transmission of dengue between a man and a woman was the subject of a recent scientific article in South Korea, Jimenez said.
In an e-mail sent to AFP, the Stockholm-based European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), which monitors health and disease in Europe, said this was “to our knowledge, the first sexual transmission of the dengue virus among men who have sex with men.”
According to the World Health Organisation’s website, dengue is transmitted mainly by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which thrives in densely-populated tropical climates and breeds in stagnant pools of water.
It is most serious – and deadly – in children, especially young girls though scientists don’t know why.
Dengue is most commonly caught by people travelling to hotter climates such as Southeast Asia, Africa, Australia, the Caribbean and South and Central America. – AFP
– AFP
– The NST
– https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2019/11/536972/first-case-sexually-transmitted-dengue-confirmed-spain
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