The hospital said the cases were identified in its Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Paediatric Hepatology ward thanks to “clinical vigilance” and rapid specialist testing.
Ward head Dr. Anna Rzucidło-Hymczak told Poland's PAP news agency this week that the infections were detected in two separate cases over the past three weeks, first in a teenage girl who has since been discharged, and then in a teenage boy who remained in hospital.
Both patients were experiencing dengue for the first time and their illness was relatively mild, resembling influenza, Rzucidło-Hymczak said, adding that they still required hospital care.
She said Poland’s winter school holiday period increased the risk of imported tropical infections as more people travel to warmer destinations.
Dengue is an acute viral disease spread by the bite of an infected mosquito, most commonly in parts of Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. It does not spread directly from person to person.
Doctors advise people returning from tropical travel to seek urgent medical advice if they develop a fever.
Common symptoms include high temperature, headache, muscle and joint pain, rash, vomiting and severe fatigue.
Rzucidło-Hymczak said prevention is based on avoiding mosquito bites, including using repellents and wearing long sleeves and long trousers.
She added that a dengue vaccine exists, but is generally used in specific situations, depending on medical guidance.
The warning comes as Portuguese health authorities have reported dengue detected in mosquitoes on Madeira, an Atlantic island that has become increasingly popular with tourists, including Poles.
Regional officials are being urged to act quickly to avoid a repeat of the 2012-2013 outbreak, when more than 1,000 people were infected.
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP