Dengue and Relative Bradycardia

Aisha Lateef,Dale Andrew Fisher,Paul Ananth Tambyah

doi:10.3201/eid1304.061212

Abstract

To the Editor: We have found that relative bradycardia is a notable clinical feature of dengue fever in Singapore. To our knowledge, this sign has not been previously associated with dengue. Awareness of this possible clinical finding could help in the early recognition of dengue and potentially reduce illness and death associated with dengue virus infection. Clinical features that can be used in the initial assessment of febrile patients are essential tools for clinicians, especially in limited resource settings.

Highlights

To the Editor: We have found that relative bradycardia is a notable clinical feature of dengue fever in Singapore
Dengue fever is a potentially fatal illness; >2.5 billion persons are at risk and the disease is endemic in almost 100 countries [1]
Relative bradycardia has been reported in many infectious diseases, including typhoid fever, Legionnaires’ disease, psittacosis, typhus, leptospirosis, malaria, and babesiosis [5,6]

Summary

Introduction

To the Editor: We have found that relative bradycardia is a notable clinical feature of dengue fever in Singapore. Clinical features that can be used in the initial assessment of febrile patients are essential tools for clinicians, especially in limited resource settings. Dengue fever is a potentially fatal illness; >2.5 billion persons are at risk and the disease is endemic in almost 100 countries [1]. No specific clinical features distinguish dengue from other febrile illnesses [3]; diagnosis relies heavily on results of laboratory investigations.

Results

Conclusion