Ongoing local transmission of dengue in Japan, August to September 2014

ABSTRACT

In late August 2014, three autochthonous dengue cases were reported in Japan. Since then, as of 17 September 2014, a total of 131 autochthonous cases have been confirmed. While cases were reported from throughout Japan, the majority were linked to visiting a large park or its vicinity in Tokyo, and the serotype detected has been serotype 1. We report preliminary findings, along with the public health response activities, of the first documented autochthonous dengue outbreak in Japan in nearly 70 years.Dengue is an acute, mosquito-borne febrile illness caused by a flavivirus found widely in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in South-East Asia. While the most competent mosquito species for dengue virus transmission is believed to be Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus is also a competent vector present in much of Japan during the warmer months. Infection with dengue virus may cause fever, headache, muscle pain and/or rash but may also be mild or asymptomatic. While there is no specific treatment, with early and appropriate medical care, the likelihood of infections resulting in severe forms or death is rare. In Japan, dengue has been a notifiable disease since April 1999. Physicians are required to report demographic, clinical and exposure history information of laboratory-confirmed cases to the local public health centre that are then reported to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) and the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID).