Very overweight children infected with dengue appear to be at higher risk of hospitalization, according to researchers who say more public awareness is needed about the risks of obesity and severe disease. Spread by the Aedes mosquito, cases of dengue reached a historic high of over 6.5 million in 2023, with more than 7,300 dengue-related deaths reported, according to the World Health Organization.
About 90 percent of those hospitalized are children less than five years old. With 10 million cases already reported this year by the end of June, 2024 is set to break the record again. Neelika Malavige, professor in Immunology and Molecular Medicine at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka says the disease is a significant problem in many South American and Asian countries including Sri Lanka.
“Some individuals develop [the severe form] dengue hemorrhagic fever, requiring hospitalization,” said Malavige, co-author of the study, published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Disease. “Others develop plasma leakage, which leads to shock, and if untreated, death. Therefore, early detection of complications is crucial.
” Obesity and diabetes – on the rise in many countries – are known risk factors for dengue but there is little data on whether these conditions lead to more dengue-related hospitalizations, say the researchers. To investigate this, they looked at almost 5,000 Sri Lankan children aged 10 to 18 years, analyzing their case details including hospitalizations due.