Beware of Dengue Fever

Dengue Fever is an acute febrile disease found in the tropics. It is also known as Breakdown Fever. It occurs widely in northern Argentina, Northern Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Indonesia, Jamaica, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Venezuela, Vietnam and many other tropical countries. The WHO estimates two-fifths of the world’s population being at risk from Dengue.

Symptoms of Dengue Fever

Dengue Fever manifests as a sudden onset of fever with severe headache, muscle and joint pains and rashes. Dengue rash is characterized as a bright red petechiae that usually appears first on the lower limbs and the chest in some patients and spreads to cover most of the body. There may also be abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. This disease is transmitted from one person to the other through mosquitoes which feed during the day. Dengue Fever lasts six to seven days. The platelet count will drop until the patient’s temperature is normal.

Treatment

There is no specific treatment for dengue fever, and most people recover completely within 2 weeks. To help with recovery, health care experts recommend

• Getting plenty of bed rest.
• Drinking lots of fluids.
• Taking medicine to reduce fever.

Preventing Dengue Fever

The best way to prevent dengue fever is to take special precautions to avoid contact with mosquitoes. Several dengue vaccines are being developed, but none is likely to be licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the next few years.

When outdoors in an area where dengue fever has been found,

• Use a mosquito repellant containing DEET.
• Dress in protective clothing—long-sleeved shirts, long pants, socks, and shoes.

Because Aedes mosquitoes usually bite during the day, be sure to use precautions especially during early morning hours before daybreak and in the late afternoon before dark.

Other precautions include

• Keep unscreened windows and doors closed.
• Keep window and door screens repaired.
• Get rid of areas where mosquitoes breed, such as standing water in flower pots or discarded tires.