Dengue fever early warning signs over deadly condition with spotty rash
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A warning has been issued over a deadly condition with a rash after worrying new UK figures. The UK Health Security Agency has released data indicating that Britain experienced a record number of imported dengue fever cases last month. Levels are at an all-time high "since records began". The NHS explains that these are considered ‘imported’ cases because the virus cannot be transmitted from person to person - instead, it's contracted through infected mosquitoes that aren't native to the UK.
The mosquitoes are usually found in parts of Africa and Asia, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Pacific Islands, some regions of North America, or even certain southern European nations including Croatia, Portugal, Spain and Italy. If bitten by an infected mosquito, expect symptoms to emerge within four to 10 days, being initially flu-like—high fever, muscle and joint pain, swollen glands, intense headache—but also featuring distinctive signs like nausea, eye pain, and a spotty rash that spreads well beyond the bite site.
The NHS cautions that these rashes consist of flat or raised patches that can cover substantial areas of the body. Insect bite prevention expert and incognito co-founder Howard Carter is sounding the alarm on the spike in instances of Brits returning home with this dangerous mosquito-borne disease.
The expert cautioned: "Because of poor UK weather large amounts of people – some for the first time – are heading abroad to mosquito-borne disease countries, for some respite. Most are unprepared for the rise in mosquito populations in the tropics and even Europe from springtime onwards.".
