Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42275075›Full record

ArticleJournal of travel medicine2026

Assessment of the healthcare burden of dengue disease in Germany: a retrospective analysis of statutory health insurance data (2014-23).

Christoph Lübbert, Markus Frühwein, Carolin Stephanie Dinjer, Caroline Mächler, Eduardo Bittencourt de Gomensoro, Tobias Vogelmann, Bojana Milovanović

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of travel medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Christoph LübbertDivision of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Department of Medicine, Leipzig University Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-6942-5785
Markus FrühweinDr. Frühwein and Partner, Practice for General Medicine, Travel Medicine and Tropical Disease, Munich, Germany.
Carolin Stephanie DinjerTakeda Pharma Vertrieb GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin, Germany.
Caroline MächlerTakeda Pharmaceuticals International AG, Zurich, Switzerland.
Eduardo Bittencourt de GomensoroTakeda Pharmaceuticals International AG, Zurich, Switzerland.
Tobias VogelmannLinkCare GmbH, Ludwigsburg, Germany.
Bojana MilovanovićTakeda Pharmaceuticals International AG, Zurich, Switzerland.

Funding

Nathaniel HolmanTakeda Pharmaceuticals International AG
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe burden of dengue disease in Germany is a growing public health concern. While travellers to dengue-endemic countries are at increased risk of contracting a dengue infection, data describing dengue-related healthcare utilization and outcomes in Germany are limited. This study investigated the healthcare burden of dengue disease in travellers returning to Germany.

methodsA retrospective analysis (InGef research database) was used to estimate dengue incidence using anonymized representative data from the German Statutory Health Insurance from approximately 7 million insured persons/year during 2015-23. Outpatient and inpatient healthcare use and dengue associated costs were investigated.

resultsFrom 2015 to 2023, among 10 151 240 insured persons, 887 dengue episodes were recorded. Patients had a median age of 33 years (interquartile range 26-46) and 52% were male. Each year, 103-182 episodes were reported (COVID-19 pandemic period [2020-22]: 10-62). Excluding the pandemic years, incidence was 1.4-2.5/100 000 persons, with an estimated total of 1453-2639 cases/year in Germany. Of the 37% hospitalized persons, 4% required intensive care. Mean hospital stay was 3.3 days; most patients were discharged after 1 overnight stay and no dengue related deaths were reported. Overall, 41% of patients took sick leave during their episode (mean sick leave for hospitalized patients: 8.8 working days); 38% of those not hospitalized took sick leave lasting 6.9 working days on average. Patients with dengue had 2-fold increased healthcare visits, resulting in a 162% increase in costs (mean costs/episode/quarter: 930€) compared with the pre-index period, with these costs mainly driven by outpatient care (23%) and hospitalization (64%). Hospitalized patients had a 4-fold rise in costs (quarterly costs/episode: 1700€; inpatient care accounting for 80%) compared with the pre-index period.

conclusionsDengue virus infection in travellers returning to Germany impacted the healthcare system in Germany, leading to high costs, hospitalizations and physician visits and considerable sick leave.

Indexed as

DengueTravelAdultCost of IllnessFemaleGermanyHealth Care CostsHospitalizationHumansIncidenceInsurance, HealthMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesYoung AdultEpidemiologyTravel

Identifiers

PMID42275075
PMCPMC13318845

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.