Journal of Kerman University of Medical Sciences

First Report of Local Transmission of Dengue Fever in Iran: A Case Study

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Abdoljabbar Zakeri 1
Golamali Javdan 1
Ahmad Raeisi 2
Farideh Fakhar 1
Arash Alvandi 3
Taiebeh Raznahan 1
Kaveh Soleimani 1
Halimeh Yaghoobi 3
Masumeh Moosazadeh 4
Fatemeh Nikpour 5
Abdolreza Miroliaei 5
Fatemeh Bagheri 1
Atefeh Khazeni 6

1 Hormozgan Provincial Health Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran

2 School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, and National Malaria Elimination Program, Center for Disease Management, Ministry of Health, Iran

3 Hormozgan Health Center, Department of Diseases Control, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Lengeh, Iran

4 Hormozgan Health Center, Laboratory of the Health Department, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran

5 Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control Campaign, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran

6 Department of Vector Biology and Control, School of Public Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

Abstract
Background: The rapid spread of the dengue fever vector, Aedes aegypti, has raised significant public health concerns worldwide, including in Iran. In Hormozgan Province, ongoing monitoring and control efforts for this mosquito species were prioritized, with a specific focus on disease detection.
Case report: To identify suspected dengue patients, health authorities implemented rapid testing protocols and ensured immediate hospitalizations when necessary. Blood samples obtained from these patients were subsequently sent to the virology laboratory at Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences for analysis. In June 2024, six confirmed cases of dengue fever were reported in Bandar Lengeh city.
Conclusion: Alarmingly, none of the affected patients had a history of travel to high-risk areas, marking the first documented instance of local transmission of dengue fever in Iran. This critical finding highlights the urgent need for enhanced public health strategies and interventions to address and manage potential dengue outbreaks in the region effectively.

Keywords

Aedes aegypti
Dengue Fever
Public Health
Hormozgan
Local Transmission
Subjects
  1. Prajapati AK, Singh NP, Jain PK, Srivastava DK, Prajapati R. Dengue in India: An overview. Natl J Community Med. 2022;13(1):49-57.
  2. Humphrey JM, Cleton NB, Reusken CB, Glesby MJ, Koopmans MP, Abu-Raddad LJ. Dengue in the Middle East and North Africa: A systematic review. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2016;10(12):e0005194.
  3. Pourzangiabadi M, Najafi H, Fallah A, Goudarzi A, Pouladi I. Dengue virus: Etiology, epidemiology, pathobiology, and developments in diagnosis and control – a comprehensive review. Infect Genet Evol. 2024;105710. DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2024.105710.
  4. Nikookar K, Fadaei R, Aghazadeh M. Entomological surveillance of Aedes mosquitoes in Iran: Current status and future perspectives. J Arthropod-Borne Dis. 2020;14(2):205-16. DOI: 10.18502/jad.v14i2.3090.
  5. Nikookar SH, Charkame A, Nezammahalleh A, Moradi-Asl E, Enayati A, Fazeli-Dinan M, et al. Entomological surveillance of invasive Aedes mosquitoes in Mazandaran Province, northern Iran from 2014 to 2020. Sci Rep. 2023;13(1):8683.
  6. Lai SC, Huang YY, Shu PY, Chang SF, Hsieh PS, Wey JJ, et al. Development of an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Rapid Detection of Dengue Virus (DENV) NS1 and Differentiation of DENV Serotypes during Early Infection. J Clin Microbiol. 2019 Jun 25;57(7):e00221-19.
  7. Azizi K, Dorzaban H, Soltani A, Alipour H, Jaberhashemi SA, Salehi-Vaziri M, et al. Monitoring of dengue virus in field-caught Aedes species (Diptera: Culicidae) by molecular method, from 2016 to 2017 in Southern Iran. J Health Sci Surveillance Syst. 2023;11(1):77-83.
  8. Nasirian H. Dengue Fever Distribution in Iran's Neighboring Countries and the Transmission Risk to Iran: A Mini-review. Caspian Journal of Health Research. 2024;9(3):159-62.
  9. National News. UAE mosquito flood combat. Available from: https://www.thenationalnews.com/he
  10. Bhatt S, Gething PW, Brady OJ, Messina JP, Farlow AW, Moyes CL, et al. The global distribution and burden of dengue. Nature. 2013;496(7446):504-7.
  11. Gubler DJ. Dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever. Clin Microbiol Rev. 1998;11(3):480-96.

 

Journal of Kerman University of Medical Sciences

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 29 September 2025

Article View 1,535

Home

Editorial Board

Guide for Authors

Submit Manuscript

Guide for Reviewers

Contact Us