How do aging and dengue pose new challenges for health care?

Dengue in Older People: A Growing Health Concern A narrative review identifies dengue as a pressing and evolving clinical challenge, with epidemiological trends indicating an increasing number of patients over 65 years old and a rising median age at infection. Despite the fact that dengue has typically been thought of as a disease that affects children, this shift toward older populations is altering both the disease burden and the complexity of care. The need for more age-specific clinical awareness and planning is underscored by the higher mortality rates, longer hospital stays, healthcare-associated infections, and severe dengue cases among older patients. Why Dengue outcomes worsen with age The authors talk about a few different mechanisms that could make older people with dengue infection have worse outcomes. A decrease in resilience during an acute infection can be caused by a decline in immune function, multimorbidity, and frailty. Endothelial dysfunction, cytokine dysregulation, and antibody-dependent enhancement are some of the major biological factors that are discussed. All of these factors have the potential to intensify inflammation and raise the severity of the disease. Together, these factors may help explain why dengue infection can progress more aggressively in older individuals than in younger patients.
 Errors in the diagnosis and a lack of treatment options Atypical symptoms, which may delay diagnosis, make it especially difficult to diagnose dengue in older people, according to the review. In this population, there are currently no specific antiviral medications and no specific prognostic markers that can be used to guide risk stratification. Because of the risks posed by comorbid disease and potential hospital complications, management necessitates careful age-specific considerations. Needs for prevention, including vaccinations Evidence on immunomodulatory and antiviral approaches is emerging, but clear clinical pathways remain limited.  Despite growing interest, the review also notes that vaccine safety and efficacy data for older adults are still scarce. The authors call for comprehensive, practical guidelines that cover diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and infection control for dengue in older adults, as the global population ages and dengue incidence rises. Reference: Author information not provided.  Dengue and aging: difficulties and opportunities for treatment and prevention A narrative review.  There are no details about the journal or DOI.