Dengue Fever
Dengue (pronounced DENgee) fever is a painful,
debilitating mosquito-borne disease caused by any one of four closely related
dengue viruses. These viruses are related to the viruses that cause West Nile
infection and yellow fever.
Each year, an estimated 100 million cases
of dengue fever occur worldwide. Most of these are in
tropical areas of the world, with the greatest risk occurring in:
·
The Indian subcontinent
·
Southeast Asia
·
Southern China
·
Taiwan
·
The Pacific Islands
·
The Caribbean (except Cuba and the Cayman Islands)
·
Mexico
·
Africa
·
Central and South America (except Chile, Paraguay, and
Argentina)
.
Dengue fever is transmitted by the bite of an
mosquito infected with a dengue virus. The mosquito becomes infected when it
bites a person with dengue virus in their blood. It can’t be spread directly from one person
to another person.
Symptoms, which usually begin four to six days
after infection and last for up to 10 days, may include
·
Skin rash, which appears three to four days after the
onset of fever
Sometimes symptoms are mild and can be
mistaken for those of the flu or another viral infection. Younger children and people who have never
had the infection before tend to have milder cases than older children and
adults. However, serious problems can develop. These include dengue hemorrhagic
fever, a rare complication characterized by high fever, damage to lymph and blood vessels, bleeding from the nose and
gums, enlargement of the liver, and failure of the circulatory system. The
symptoms may progress to massive bleeding, shock, and death. This is called
dengue shock syndrome (DSS).
People with weakened immune systems as well as
those with a second or subsequent dengue infection are believed to be at
greater risk for developing dengue hemorrhagic fever.
Diagnosing Dengue
Fever
Doctors can diagnose dengue infection with a blood test to check
for the virus or antibodies to it. If you become sick after traveling to a
tropical area, let your doctor know. This will allow your doctor to evaluate
the possibility that your symptoms were caused by a dengue infection.
Treatment for Dengue
Fever
There is no specific medicine to treat dengue infection. If you
think you may have dengue fever, you should use pain relievers with acetaminophen and avoid medicines with aspirin, which could worsen bleeding. You should also
rest, drink plenty of fluids, and see your doctor. If you start to feel worse
in the first 24 hours after your fever goes down, you should get to a hospital
immediately to be checked for complications.
There is no vaccine to prevent dengue fever. The best way to
prevent the disease is to prevent bites by infected mosquitoes, particularly if
you are living in or traveling to a tropical area. This involves protecting
yourself and making efforts to keep the mosquito population down.
To protect yourself:
·
Stay away from heavily populated residential areas, if possible.
·
Use mosquito repellents, even indoors.
·
When outdoors, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants tucked
into socks.
·
When indoors, use air conditioning if available.
·
Make sure window and door screens are secure and free of holes.
If sleeping areas are not screened or air conditioned, use mosquito nets.
·
If you have symptoms of dengue, speak to your doctor.
To reduce the mosquito population, get rid of places where
mosquitoes can breed. These include old tires, cans, or flower pots that
collect rain. Regularly change the water in outdoor bird baths and pets' water
dishes.
If someone in your home gets dengue fever, be
especially vigilant about efforts to protect yourself and other family members
from mosquitoes. Mosquitoes that bite the infected family member could spread
the infection to others in your home.
