We tested for dengue seroconversion among 104 Israeli young adults who traveled to tropical countries for at least 3 months.
Dengue fever is a rapidly spreading mosquito-borne viral disease.
Infected persons usually have high fever, chills, frontal headache, rash, severe myalgia, and malaise. In contrast to data regarding the rate of dengue among populations in disease-endemic areas, data on the attack rate among travelers are scarce. The study was approved by the Helsinki Committee of the Bnai Zion Medical Center, which provides service to approximately 1,500 travelers per year. Each traveler is requested to fill out a questionnaire including demographic, itinerary, and vaccination data, which are stored in a computerized database. The purpose of the study was explained to the travelers, and informed consent was obtained upon enrollment.