Navigating Potential Dengue and Its Mimics in a Febrile Returning Traveller: A Case Report

Fever is a common symptom in returning travellers. This prompts healthcare providers to consider and investigate potentially serious infections requiring timely diagnosis and management. The following case describes a traveller returning from Bangladesh presenting with symptoms indicative of dengue. These include fever, rash, nausea, vomiting, myalgia and conjunctivitis. However, his symptoms defied the expected pattern of presentation, posing a diagnostic challenge. No laboratory confirmation of prior dengue infection was available. He was discharged as having a viral fever with a rash and the possibility that this was a secondary infection occurring after dengue. The case highlights the complexity of febrile travellers. It also reviews the literature on dengue, offering important learning opportunities for clinicians encountering comparable presentations. The case emphasises the need for a balanced diagnostic approach in thoroughly ruling out serious tropical infections without neglecting common community-acquired viruses.