Brits set for a summer holiday in Ibiza have been warned to be on alert following a number of dengue fever cases last year.
Six German tourists were struck down with the bug between May and November last year, say the local government, and there are fears of a second wave as the island gears up for its busiest period of the year, report Birmingham Live.
Spain’s government has said there is a “moderate” risk of people getting the fever during the summer. Spread by mosquitoes, the infection can be deadly to vulnerable adults, but it’s not usually serious and sufferers tend to recover within a few days.
Symptoms usually start four to 10 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito, according to the NHS. They can include a high temperature, severe headache, blotchy rash made up of flat or slightly raised spots and swollen glands.
Some people get a more severe type of dengue a few days after they first started feeling ill that can include repeatedly being sick and bleeding gums or nose.
One confirmed case among the German tourists in Ibiza was a 27-year-old woman who was in Ibiza last August with her partner and their 14-month-old daughter. All three had symptoms on August 31, but tests were only performed on the woman who was then diagnosed with dengue.
Another case involved a 37-year-old woman who – with her partner and 12-year-old son – also showed symptoms of the bug on the last day of her October stay. Health officials believe the bug could have been spread by a holidaymaker from Mexico who only displayed symptoms after arriving on the island.
Subscribe here for the latest news where you live
Spain’s Ministry of Health said in a statement: “One of the potential vectors of dengue is the Aedes albopictus mosquito, present throughout the area, the Spanish Mediterranean and the Balearic Islands and also in some areas of the interior and north of the country.
“After learning about the cases, the authorities of the Balearic Islands have planned actions such as pertinent surveillance and vector control and also communication and information to the public, to be carried out before and during the start of the vector activity season.”
For more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea.
