We're hearing more and more reports about the tiger mosquito, which has spread across Switzerland in recent years. It can pass on a number of diseases to humans including dengue fever, a viral infection. This health tip explains what dengue fever is and what can be done to halt the spread of the tiger mosquito.
Transmission and symptoms
It generally takes four to seven days for any symptoms to develop after being bitten by a tiger mosquito that is carrying the dengue fever virus. In many cases the victim shows no signs of illness at all – it is asymptomatic. In 20 to 60% of cases, however, they will experience symptoms such as high fever, headache and aching limbs or a rash. Some people may get a more severe type of dengue with bleeding, liver damage and, in the worst cases, circulatory failure – but this is rare. There isn't yet any specific treatment for dengue fever. Patients are treated with pain relief and fever-reducing medication.
No cases of transmission in Switzerland
The good news is that no one has yet caught dengue fever within Switzerland. All known cases of the disease have occurred in travellers who have been bitten abroad, become infected and returned to Switzerland with the fever. The bad news is that because both the number of infected travellers and the prevalence of tiger mosquitoes is growing, the risk of transmission in Switzerland is also increasing. If a tiger mosquito bites an infected person, it can pass the virus contained in their blood to the next person, thereby spreading dengue fever.
How can we stop the spread of the tiger mosquito?
For your health: santé24 and SWICA Benecura
Do you have a health question? Our physicians and healthcare professionals at santé24 are available 24/7 on +41 44 404 86 86 for SWICA customers. In addition to telephone health advice, patients whose conditions are appropriate for telemedicine can receive medical services such as diagnostics, treatment, and even e-prescriptions for prescription medications.
Do you feel ill? The SWICA Benecura medical app makes it easy to carry out a digital SymptomCheck. You will receive a personal recommendation about what to do next. Send your information in encrypted form to the santé24 online practice for your telephone consultation to significantly shorten the assessment.
