Dengue infection is a leading cause of illness and death in the tropic and subtropic areas of the world. About 100 million people are infected every year with the dengue virus.
 |
| Government campaign against dengue Image from http://www.dilg.gov.ph |
Causes
Dengue fever is caused by the bite of an Aedes aegypti mosquito infected by any one of the four dengue viruses.
You can become infected with dengue fever more than once. When you are exposed to any of the four dengue viruses, your recovery from the infection will provide you with life-long immunity against that virus but will not protect you against subsequent infection from the other three viruses.
A subsequent infection from any of the other three dengue viruses increases the risk of developing the more severe form of the disease – dengue hemorrhagic fever.
Transmission
Dengue viruses are transmitted to humans through the bites of infective female Aedes mosquitoes. Infected humans are the main carriers and multipliers of the virus, serving as a source of the virus for uninfected mosquitoes. Aedes mosquitoes can acquire the virus when they feed on an infected individual.
Signs and Symptoms
- high fever, up to 105 F (40.6 C)
- a rash over most of your body, which may subside after a couple of days and then reappear.
- Severe headache, backache or both
- pain behind your eyes
- severe joint and muscle pain
- nausea and vomiting
Symptoms begin about four to seven days after being bitten by a mosquito carrying a dengue virus.
Dengue fever rarely causes death, and your symptoms will usually subside within a week after subsiding.
Signs and Symptoms of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever
- significant damage to your blood and lymph vessels
- a decrease in the number of blood cells that help your blood clot (platelets)
- bleeding from the nose and mouth
- bleeding under the skin, which gives the appearance of bruising
- death
Signs and Symptoms of Dengue Shock Syndrome
- severe abdominal pain
- frequent vomiting
- disorientation
- fluid (plasma) leakage from blood vessels
- heavy bleeding
- a sudden drop in blood pressure (shock)
- death
Prevention and Control
The best way of preventing and controlling dengue is by destroying the habitat of the Aedes aegypti mosquito.- Cover water drums and water pails at all times to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.
- Replace water in flower vases once a week.
- Clean all water containers once a week. Scrub the sides well to remove eggs of mosquitoes sticking to the sides.
- Clean gutters of leaves and debris so that rain water will not collect as breeding places for mosquitoes.
- Old tires used as roof support should be punctures or cut to avoid accumulation of water.
- Collect and dispose all unusable tin cans, jars, bottles and other items that can collect and hold water.
