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Have you ever experienced or heard about dengue? Whether your answer is a yes or no,
you should know that dengue is real, dangerous and can be conquered. You may think
that common illnesses and diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, cancer,
malaria, typhoid, to mention a few are the only ones that exist. No, they are not. There is
also a disease known as dengue and the next few minutes you are going to dedicate
reading this article will educate and inform you all about the dangerous dengue and
dengue symptoms.
What is dengue?
Dengue, also known as Dengue fever or breakbone fever is a mosquito-borne infectious
disease caused by the dengue virus, which is mainly found in the tropical regions. The
disease may produce such body pains in such a way that one feels like his/her bones
break. The major dengue symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pain and
a characteristic skin rash similar to measles that occurs all over the body. In small portion
of cases, this disease may develop into a more life threatening form known as dengue
hemorrhagic fever, which results in bleeding, thrombocytopenia (decrease in blood
platelet count), blood plasma leakage or the more fatal dengue shock syndrome, which
causes dangerously low blood pressure.
Dengue fever virus (DENV) is an RNA virus that belongs to flaviviridae family (genus
flavivirus). Other members of the same genus include yellow fever virus, West Nile virus,
St. Louis encephalitis virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, tick-borne encephalitis virus,
Kyasanur forest disease virus, and Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus. Most are transmitted
by arthropods (mosquitoes or ticks), and are therefore also referred to as arboviruses
(arthropod-borne viruses).
Dengue can also be transmitted through infected blood products and organ donation. In
countries such as Singapore, where dengue is endemic, the risk is estimated to be
between 1.6 and 6 per 10,000 transfusions. Vertical transmission (from mother to child)
during pregnancy or at birth has been reported. Other person-to-person modes of
transmission have also been reported, but are very unusual.
Dengue Diagnosed
It has been earlier said that a person diagnosed with dengue will exhibit symptoms such
as skin rashes, severe headaches, constant fever etc. But these symptoms seem life-
threatening if not taken seriously. A probable diagnosis is based on the findings of fever
plus two of the following: nausea and vomiting, rash, generalized pains, low white blood
cell count, positive tourniquet test, or any warning sign in someone who lives in an
endemic area. Warning signs typically occur before the onset of severe dengue. The
tourniquet test, which is particularly useful in settings where no laboratory investigations
are readily available, involves the application of a blood pressure cuff at between the
diastolic and systolic pressure for five minutes, followed by the counting of any petechial
hemorrhages; a higher number makes a diagnosis of dengue more likely with the cut off
being more than 10 to 20 per 1 inch.
Severe dengue is defined as that associated with severe bleeding, severe organ
dysfunction or severe plasma leakage. The 1997 W.H.O classification divided dengue
into undifferentiated fever, dengue fever, and dengue hemorrhagic fever. Dengue
hemorrhagic fever was subdivided further into grades I–IV. Grade I is the presence only
of easy bruising or a positive tourniquet test in someone with fever, grade II is the
presence of spontaneous bleeding into the skin and elsewhere, grade III is the clinical
evidence of shock, and grade IV is shock so severe that blood pressure and pulse cannot
be detected. Grades III and IV are referred to as “dengue shock syndrome”.
It is advisable not to allow the existence of stagnant water especially around places
like flowerpots, buckets, barrels etc. and around the house, as these are the
favourite places for mosquitoes to lay eggs.
People can prevent mosquito bites by wearing clothing that fully covers the skin,
using mosquito netting while resting and the application of insect repellent
Bleaching powder can be used for water sources that are not meant for drinking,
as it prevents the development of mosquito eggs.
Reducing open collections of water through environmental modification is also a
preferred method of control, given the concerns of negative health effects from
insecticides and greater logistical difficulties with control agents.
One is advised to avoid strong perfumes, as mosquitoes are drawn towards strong
body odours.
It is healthier to avoid being outdoors during dawn, dusk or early evenings when
mosquitoes tend to roam around in the open.
Treatment for Dengue
There are actually no known antiviral drugs or injections available for the cure of dengue.
However, the disease can be treated with plenty of supportive care and treatment that
would eventually help save the patient’s life. Dengue is characterized by fever and intense
body ache. The fever can be treated with antipyretic drugs such as paracetamols and the
body ache can be treated with analgesics that help relieve the pain. Drugs such as aspirin
and ibuprofen should be avoided as they may increase the risk of hemorrhage. The
patient can also be treated with natural home remedies such as papaya leaves, kiwi and
other food items that have been proven to help in the increase of platelet count, which
gets affected during dengue.
Now that you well educated about dengue fever, I hope your answer to the first question
in this educative and health advocacy article will be a capital and confident YES. Ensure
and try your best to be stay healthy because “health is wealth.”