Beware of Dengue

Beware of Dengue

 It is rainy season. It means dengue is coming. I heard on the news today that there are 80,000 cases of dengue this year.

What is Dengue?

Dengue fever (pronounced UK: /ˈdɛŋɡeɪ/, US: /ˈdɛŋɡiː/) and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) are acute febrile diseases which occur in the tropics, can be life-threatening, and are caused by four closely related virus serotypes of the genus Flavivirus, family Flaviviridae. It is also known as breakbone fever, since it can be extremely painful. It occurs widely in the tropics, including northern Argentina, northern Australia, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bolivia, Belize, Brazil, Cambodia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, French Polynesia, Guadeloupe, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Laos, Malaysia, Melanesia, Mexico, Micronesia, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, The Philippines, Puerto Rico, Samoa, Western Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Taiwan, Thailand,Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela and Vietnam, and increasingly in southern China.[Unlike malaria, dengue is just as prevalent in the urban districts of its range as in rural areas. Each serotype is sufficiently different that there is no cross-protection and epidemics caused by multiple serotypes (hyperendemicity) can occur. Dengue is transmitted to humans by the Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti or more rarely the Aedes albopictus mosquito, both of which feed exclusively during daylight hours. Dengue fever is caused by Dengue virus , a mosquito-borne flavivirus.Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a severe, often fatal, complication of dengue fever.The mosquito transmits the disease by biting an infected person and then biting someone else.

Symptoms

Dengue fever usually starts suddenly with a high fever, rash, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, and muscle and joint pain. The severity of the joint pain has given dengue the name "breakbone fever." Nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite are common. A rash usually appears 3 to 4 days after the start of the fever. The illness can last up to 10 days, but complete recovery can take as long as a month. Older children and adults are usually sicker than young children.

Most dengue infections result in relatively mild illness, but some can progress to dengue hemorrhagic fever. With dengue hemorrhagic fever, the blood vessels start to leak and cause bleeding from the nose, mouth, and gums. Bruising can be a sign of bleeding inside the body. Without prompt treatment, the blood vessels can collapse, causing shock (dengue shock syndrome). Dengue hemorrhagic fever is fatal in about 5 percent of cases, mostly among children and young adults.

 Treatment for Dengue 

There is no specific treatment for dengue. Persons with dengue fever should rest and drink plenty of fluids. They should be kept away from mosquitoes for the protection of others. Dengue hemorrhagic fever is treated by replacing lost fluids. Some patients need transfusions to control bleeding. Most people who get dengue fever will recover in about 2 weeks to a month by getting plenty of rest, increasing fluid intake and taking acetaminophen (Tylenol) for fever and body aches. People with dengue fever should not take aspirin or medications that contain aspirin because it increases the risk for severe bleeding. I also read that drinking papaya juice will help. Papaya juice has cooling effect that can subside high fever. Get some papaya leaves, pounded them and squeeze the juice out .  Another is tawa tawa plant. Doctors here in the Philippines allow patients to drink it. Tawa tawa is a herbal plant that grows locally in the Philippines. Take five whole Tawa Tawa plants. Cut off the roots, then wash and clean. Boil Tawa Tawa in a pot of clean water. Pour the liquid and then let cool. Sip one glass three to four times a day.

How can dengue be prevented

• Use mosquito repellents on skin and clothing.
•  When outdoors during times that mosquitoes are biting, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants tucked into socks.
• Avoid heavily populated residential areas.
•  When indoors, stay in air-conditioned or screened areas. Use bednets if sleeping areas are not screened or air-conditioned.
• Clean up your backyard.Check your surroundings for stagnant water.
• Eliminate mosquito breeding sites around homes. Discard items that can collect rain or run-off water, especially old tires.
• Spray insecticide regularly.

Sources:

http://www.dhpe.org,

wikipedia,