A British holidaymaker has caught deadly dengue fever while on a family holiday in a plush city in the south of France.
Medical experts revealed that an unnamed 44-year-old woman was infected with the horrific virus while on holiday with her family in Nice.
She caught the tropical disease, which is often found in countries like Vietnam and Brazil, at a time of the year when the mercury starts to slowly fall.
READ MORE: New Covid strain Arcturus already in the UK as it causes carnage in India
She luckily made a full recovery after spending three brutal days in a British A&E ward, suffering from fevers, pains and rashes.
While the tourist was lucky enough to survive the ordeal, her catching the tropical disease points to a broader issue Europeans are likely to face in the coming years.
Dr Owain Donnelly, from London’s Hospital for Tropical Diseases, said the spread of the illness is “rapidly changing”, The Sun reported.
He told conference-goers at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases: “Hotter temperatures and more rainfall, and increasing global trade and tourism, mean we may see more parts of Europe with the right combination of factors for dengue outbreaks.”
The virus, which causes fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, vomiting and a blotchy rash, is often carried by the Asian tiger mosquito.
-
Bird Flu alert as returning birds bring renewed fear of transmission to humans
While this species of mosquito isn’t often found in Europe, its population numbers are on the rise on the continent.
People usually heal on their own if they manage to get to a hospital in time, but around five percent of cases are severe and can be deadly.
Around 50 million people per year are infected with dengue, mainly in Asia, Central and South America and the Caribbean.
There is no treatment for the disease, but the NHS recommends that people who suspect they are suffering from it should ease symptoms by resting, drinking plenty of fluids and taking paracetamol to help bring down body temperature and ease pain.
READ NEXT:
- Beauty queen stripped of crown after brawling with another woman in the street
- Cleaner in tears from 'pizza-obsessed' hoarder house filled with bottles of p***
- Rapist who made young victims 'house pets' wearing dog masks and collars jailed
Source: Read Full Article