Dengue in Guinea: Clinical Description and Investigation of an Imported Case

Abstract

Introduction: A neglected tropical disease, we report a case of imported dengue fever in the Republic of Guinea in a student permanently resident in a neighbouring country who was visiting Conakry (Guinea) for professional reasons. Case Presentation: Symptoms began with the onset of fever, headache, rhinorrhea and arthralgia motivating self-medication at home. He consulted two private clinics and was admitted to a national hospital before being transferred to a second hospital without improvement. The diagnosis of dengue fever was confirmed by RT-PCR 10 days after the onset of symptoms. The patient died of the disease. The active search for febrile cases showed no increase in the number of reports. No epidemiological link was found. The entomological survey was conducted around the confirmed case. Conclusion: This report highlights the errors and delays in diagnosing a case of dengue fever and highlights the need to set up a robust surveillance system to prevent the potential spread of dengue fever in non-endemic areas. It also focuses on the sequencing of the isolated viral strain, its comparison with the strain circulating in the country of origin and the need for cross-border collaboration in the context of integrated disease surveillance and response and the International Health Regulations.