Human Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, Sénégal

Emerging Infectious Diseases • www.cdc.gov/eid • Vol. 10, No. 10, October 2004 1881 detected during the early febrile period. The male patient still had fever when the needle accident occurred, and the needle was contaminated. Infectious disease specialists and other physicians should recognize that vector-borne diseases, such as dengue and malaria, are potentially life threatening. Therefore, they should consider these diseases in the differential diagnosis of febrile patients returning from tropical countries. In most patients, dengue fever resolves without hemoconcentration, an indication of dengue hemorrhagic fever. Nosocomial transmission of dengue viruses is not a common event, however, physicians must consider these diseases. These unique cases demonstrate the possible introduction and transmission of exotic tropical viruses in a country within temperate zones; all that is needed are competent vectors. Whereas A. aegypti is not endemic in Europe, it could be introduced. The A. albopictus mosquitoes, an invader from Asia, already exists there, albeit in isolated areas (10). Patients returning from distant regions should be treated with increased attention and care. Although dengue viruses are rarely transmitted person to person, this incident emphasizes the importance of having reliable and rapid diagnostic methods available for early detection of imported infections with exotic viral agents.