Despite recent advances in the development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines, the ease of international travel and increasing global interdependence have brought about particular challenges for the control of infectious diseases, highlighting concerns for the worldwide spread of emerging and reemerging infectious diseases. Korea is also facing public health challenges for controlling imported cases of infectious diseases; dengue virus, which is the most commonly reported case of imported infectious diseases; the largest outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus infections outside the Arabian Peninsula in 2015; and the Zika virus infection, which was declared by the WHO as a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern." Although national and global partnerships are critical to controlling imported infectious disease threats, the role of local hospitals, public health sectors, and laboratory capacity remains the cornerstone for initial disease recognition and response. The current status of laboratory diagnosis for imported infectious diseases is reviewed.
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, Un Kyo Chung, Seo Hee Yoon, Kyung-Hyo Kim, Hee Jung Choi We report two cases of dengue fever due to DENV-1 in the family members who returned from Manila, Philippines. Case 1: A 41-year-old female visited the clinic with a general weakness. She had a fever for 5 days. When she came back to Korea, her fever had subsided. The immunoglobulin M (IgM)-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for dengue virus was positive. Case 2: A 11-year-old female was admitted to the pediatric department after reporting symptoms of fever and abdominal pain upon returning from the Philippines. The RT-PCR result for DENV-1 was positive in blood, but IgM came out negative. Dengue fever should be suspected for those who have returned from an endemic area with reports of febrile illness and rash, particularly if thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, elevated serum aminotransferase are present. Using RT-PCR and serological test, the precise diagnosis should be made and proper management should be given to prevent secondary complications.
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