During influenza season: all influenza-like illnesses are not due to influenza: dengue mimicking influenza

The Journal of Emergency Medicine
Burke A Cunha, Muhammad Raza

Abstract

During influenza season, many patients present to the emergency department (ED) for evaluation with influenza-like illnesses (ILIs). ILIs are commonly due to influenza A or B, but other infections may mimic influenza in their clinical presentation. With the high volume of ILIs presenting to the ED during influenza season, the ED physician should be alert to other infections masquerading as influenza. We report an interesting case of a 31-year-old female who presented with an ILI during influenza season. She had recently been in contact with multiple people with influenza. Her nonspecific laboratory tests done in the ED were consistent with influenza, except for a highly elevated serum ferritin level. The serum ferritin level was the key finding that led to the correct diagnosis of dengue fever, which she acquired during a recent trip to Haiti. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: During influenza season, facing high patient volumes of ILIs in the ED, the ED physician needs to be aware of clinical features in ILIs that may suggest a mimic of influenza.

References

Jan 31, 2008·Infection·B A Cunha
May 9, 2008·Clinical Infectious Diseases : an Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America·Burke A Cunha
Oct 20, 2009·Lancet·Tom JeffersonChris Del Mar
Dec 2, 2009·CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association Journal = Journal De L'Association Medicale Canadienne·Morgan RosenbergNick Daneman
Feb 23, 2010·Infectious Disease Clinics of North America·Burke A Cunha
Apr 7, 2010·Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology : the Official Journal of the Society of Hospital Epidemiologists of America·Burke A CunhaValsamma Thekkel
May 12, 2010·Heart & Lung : the Journal of Critical Care·Burke A CunhaMarianne Laguerre
Oct 23, 2010·European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases : Official Publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology·B A CunhaS Strollo
May 7, 2011·Heart & Lung : the Journal of Critical Care·Burke A CunhaMarianne Laguerre
Oct 30, 2013·Journal of Travel Medicine·Irani RatnamJoseph Torresi

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Citations

May 10, 2016·The Journal of Emergency Medicine·Beuy Joob, Viroj Wiwanitkit
Feb 6, 2017·Infectious Disease Clinics of North America·Burke A Cunha, Cheston B Cunha
Feb 2, 2018·The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews·Vittorio DemicheliCarlo Di Pietrantonj

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