Dengue Among American Missionaries Returning from Jamaica, 2012

Abelardo C. Moncayo Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, Tennessee; Epidemic Intelligence Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Dengue Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, San Juan, Puerto Rico; Travelers' Health Branch, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Florida Department of Health, Tallahassee, Florida

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Jane Baumblatt Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, Tennessee; Epidemic Intelligence Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Dengue Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, San Juan, Puerto Rico; Travelers' Health Branch, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Florida Department of Health, Tallahassee, Florida

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Dana Thomas Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, Tennessee; Epidemic Intelligence Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Dengue Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, San Juan, Puerto Rico; Travelers' Health Branch, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Florida Department of Health, Tallahassee, Florida

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Kira A. Harvey Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, Tennessee; Epidemic Intelligence Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Dengue Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, San Juan, Puerto Rico; Travelers' Health Branch, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Florida Department of Health, Tallahassee, Florida

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David Atrubin Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, Tennessee; Epidemic Intelligence Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Dengue Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, San Juan, Puerto Rico; Travelers' Health Branch, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Florida Department of Health, Tallahassee, Florida

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Danielle Stanek Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, Tennessee; Epidemic Intelligence Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Dengue Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, San Juan, Puerto Rico; Travelers' Health Branch, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Florida Department of Health, Tallahassee, Florida

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Mark Sotir Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, Tennessee; Epidemic Intelligence Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Dengue Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, San Juan, Puerto Rico; Travelers' Health Branch, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Florida Department of Health, Tallahassee, Florida

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Elizabeth Hunsperger Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, Tennessee; Epidemic Intelligence Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Dengue Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, San Juan, Puerto Rico; Travelers' Health Branch, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Florida Department of Health, Tallahassee, Florida

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Jorge L. Muñoz-Jordan Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, Tennessee; Epidemic Intelligence Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Dengue Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, San Juan, Puerto Rico; Travelers' Health Branch, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Florida Department of Health, Tallahassee, Florida

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Emily S. Jentes Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, Tennessee; Epidemic Intelligence Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Dengue Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, San Juan, Puerto Rico; Travelers' Health Branch, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Florida Department of Health, Tallahassee, Florida

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Tyler M. Sharp Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, Tennessee; Epidemic Intelligence Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Dengue Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, San Juan, Puerto Rico; Travelers' Health Branch, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Florida Department of Health, Tallahassee, Florida

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D. Fermin Arguello Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, Tennessee; Epidemic Intelligence Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Dengue Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, San Juan, Puerto Rico; Travelers' Health Branch, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Florida Department of Health, Tallahassee, Florida

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.14-0341
Volume/Issue:
Volume 92: Issue 1
Page(s):
69–71
Restricted access
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Dengue is an acute febrile illness caused by any of four mosquito-transmitted dengue virus (DENV) types. Dengue is endemic in Jamaica, where an epidemic occurred in 2012. An investigation was conducted by multiple agencies for 66 missionaries traveling from nine US states to Jamaica after 1 missionary from the group was confirmed to have dengue. Travelers were offered diagnostic testing, and a survey was administered to assess knowledge, behaviors, and illness. Of 42 survey respondents, 9 (21%) respondents reported an acute febrile illness during or after travel to Jamaica. Of 15 travelers that provided serum specimens, 4 (27%) travelers had detectable anti-DENV immunoglobulin M antibody, and 1 traveler also had DENV-1 detected by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Recent or past infection with a DENV was evident in 93% (13 of 14) missionaries with available sera. No behavioral or demographic factors were significantly associated with DENV infection. This investigation shows that even trips of short duration to endemic areas present a risk of acquiring dengue.

Author Notes

* Address correspondence to Abelardo C. Moncayo, 630 Hart Lane, Nashville, TN 37216. E-mail: Abelardo.Moncayo@tn.gov

Authors' addresses: Abelardo C. Moncayo, Vector-Borne Diseases Section, Communicable and Environmental Diseases Services, Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, TN, E-mail: Abelardo.Moncayo@tn.gov. Jane Baumblatt, Vector-Borne Diseases Section, Communicable and Environmental Diseases Services, Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, TN, and Epidemic Intelligence Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, E-mail: Jane.Baumblatt@ahrq.hhs.gov. Dana Thomas, Kira A. Harvey, and Mark Sotir, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, Traveler's Health Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, E-mails: wii6@cdc.gov, jii3@cdc.gov, and mps6@cdc.gov. David Atrubin and Danielle Stanek, Division of Disease Control and Prevention, Florida Department of Health, Tallahassee, FL, E-mails: David.Atrubin@flhealth.gov and Danielle.Stanek@flhealth.gov. Elizabeth Hunsperger, Tyler M. Sharp, and D. Fermin Arguello, Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Disease, Dengue Branch, Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, San Juan, Puerto Rico, E-mails: enh4@cdc.gov, tsharp@cdc.gov, and darguello@cdc.gov. Jorge L. Muñoz-Jordan, Dengue Branch, Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, San Juan, Puerto Rico, E-mail: ckq2@cdc.gov. Emily S. Jentes, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, E-mail: efj8@cdc.gov.

Copyright:
© The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 2015
Received:
31 May 2014
|
Accepted:
05 Aug 2014
|
Published Online:
07 Jan 2015
Cover The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Print ISSN:
0002-9637
Online ISSN:
1476-1645
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