Dengue Fever – Know Everything about Dengue Fever and Treatment Understanding Dengue Fever

Dengue Fever – Know Everything about Dengue Fever and Treatment
Understanding Dengue Fever

Reality views by sm –

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Dengue Fever is also known as breakbone fever.

Dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and Dengue Shock Syndrome (DSS) are acute febrile diseases which occur in the tropics.

The disease is now endemic in more than 100 countries.



The first record of a case of probable dengue fever is in a Chinese medical encyclopedia from the Jin Dynasty (265–420 AD) which referred to a “water poison” associated with flying insects.

The first recognized Dengue epidemics occurred almost simultaneously in Asia, Africa, and North America in the 1780

Dengue virus belongs to the family Flaviviridae, which includes the hepatitis C virus, West Nile and Yellow fever viruses among others.

Endemic meaning - A disease that occurs regularly in a particular area, as malaria does in many tropical countries, is said to be endemic.
Febrile diseases meaning - Any disease associated with or characterized by fever.

What is Dengue?
Dengue is a disease caused by any one of four closely related dengue viruses (DENV 1, DENV 2, DENV 3, or DENV 4).

You can be infected by at least two if not all four types at different times during your lifetime, but only once by the same type.

The viruses are transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito.

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 hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is a more severe form of dengue infection.
It can be fatal if unrecognized and not properly treated in a timely manner.
DHF is caused by infection with the same viruses that cause dengue fever.
(Myalgias and arthralgias—severe pain that gives it the nickname break-bone fever or bonecrusher disease)

How Dengue and Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is spread?
Dengue is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, particularly A. aegypti and A. albopictus.
Dengue is transmitted to people by the bite of an Aedes mosquito that is infected with a dengue virus.

The mosquito becomes infected with dengue virus when it bites a person who has dengue virus in their blood.
The person can either have symptoms of dengue fever or DHF, or they may have no symptoms.
After about one week, the mosquito can then transmit the virus while biting a healthy person.

Dengue cannot be spread directly from person to person.
Dengue may also be transmitted via infected blood products (blood transfusions, plasma, and platelets)

Possible factors for dengue fever spread include: Unplanned urban overpopulation of areas leading to inadequate housing and public health systems (water, sewerage and waste management) and Poor vector control, e.g., stagnant pools of water for mosquito breeding
Usual few Breeding grounds of dengue Mosquito are flower pot, flower pot plate, hardened soil of potted plants, collar of the western toilet bowl, gully trap, roof gutter, roadside drain and scupper drain etc.


Facts about the aedes or dengue mosquito –
Only the female aedes mosquito bites as it needs the protein in blood to develop its eggs.

The average lifespan of an Aedes mosquito in Nature is 2 weeks
The mosquito can lay eggs about 3 times in its lifetime, and about 100 eggs are produced each time.
The eggs can lie dormant in dry conditions for up to about 9 months, after which they can hatch if exposed to favorable conditions, i.e. water and food

The Aedes mosquito is easily identifiable by its distinctive black and white stripes on their body.
It prefers to breed in clean, stagnant water easily found in our homes.


What are the symptoms of the Dengue disease?
The principal symptoms of dengue fever are high fever, severe headache, severe pain behind the eyes, joint pain, muscle and bone pain, rash, and mild bleeding (e.g., nose or gums bleed, easy bruising).

Generally, younger children and those with their first dengue infection have a milder illness than older children and adults.

Dengue hemorrhagic fever is characterized by a fever that lasts from 2 to 7 days, with general signs and symptoms consistent with dengue fever.

When the fever declines, symptoms including persistent vomiting, severe abdominal pain, and difficulty breathing, may develop.
This marks the beginning of a 24- to 48-hour period when the smallest blood vessels (capillaries) become excessively permeable (“leaky”), allowing the fluid component to escape from the blood vessels into the peritoneum (causing ascites) and pleural cavity (leading to pleural effusions).
This may lead to failure of the circulatory system and shock, followed by death, if circulatory failure is not corrected.

In addition, the patient with DHF has a low platelet count and hemorrhagic manifestations, tendency to bruise easily or other types of skin hemorrhages, bleeding nose or gums, and possibly internal bleeding.

There may also be severe retro-orbital pain, (a pain from behind the eyes that is distinctive to Dengue infections), and gastritis with some combination of associated abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting coffee-grounds-like congealed blood, or diarrhea.

CLINICAL FEATURES - Sudden onset of fever, severe headache, myalgias and arthralgias, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia and hemorrhagic manifestations and occasionally produces shock and hemorrhage, leading to death.

What is the treatment for dengue?
The diagnosis of dengue is usually made clinically.
Dengue is diagnosed by a blood test.
There is no specific medication for treatment of a dengue infection.

Persons who think they have dengue should use analgesics (pain relievers) with acetaminophen and avoid those containing aspirin.
Aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs should be avoided as these drugs may worsen the bleeding tendency associated with some of these infections. Patients may receive paracetamol, acetaminophen, and preparations to deal with these symptoms if dengue is suspected.

They should also rest, drink plenty of fluids, and consult a physician.
If they feel worse (e.g., develop vomiting and severe abdominal pain) in the first 24 hours after the fever declines, they should go immediately to the hospital for evaluation.

Increased oral fluid intake is recommended to prevent dehydration. Supplementation with intravenous fluids may be necessary to prevent dehydration and significant concentration of the blood if the patient is unable to maintain oral intake. A platelet transfusion may be indicated if the platelet level drops significantly (below 20,000) or if there is significant bleeding. The presence of melena may indicate internal gastrointestinal bleeding requiring platelet and/or red blood cell transfusion.

Is there an effective treatment for dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF)?
As with dengue fever, there is no specific medication for DHF.
It can however be effectively treated by fluid replacement therapy if an early clinical diagnosis is made.
DHF management frequently requires hospitalization.

Most people who develop dengue fever recover completely within 2 weeks. Some, especially adults, may be tired and/or depressed for several weeks to months after being infected with the virus.
The more clinically severe dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndromes can result in vascular (blood vessel) and liver damage, and can be life-threatening.

How to avoid the Dengue Fever?
What precautions we can take to avoid the dengue fever?
There is no vaccine for preventing dengue.

The Aedes mosquito likes to bite in the morning and afternoons, often indoors or in the shade. The mosquito, Aedes species, is a day biter; so during daylight hours, in areas where mosquitoes are present, protect yourself by properly using anti-mosquito measures.

For Dengue spread only society and our local government, Municipal Corporation is responsible.
You must ask your local government and politicians to keep your area clean.

Remember Dengue will kill you. Politicians are our paid servants so we must ask them it is our right they are our servants.

The Dengue Mosquito lays her eggs, primarily artificial containers that hold water.
Items that collect rainwater or to store water (for example, plastic containers, drums, buckets, or used automobile tires) should be covered or properly discarded.

Pet and animal watering containers and vases with fresh flowers should be emptied and cleaned (to remove eggs) at least once a week.
This will eliminate the mosquito eggs and larvae and reduce the number of mosquitoes present in these areas.

Using air conditioning or window and door screens reduces the risk of mosquitoes coming indoors. Proper application of mosquito repellents containing 20% to 30% DEET as the active ingredient on exposed skin and clothing decreases the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes.

Wearing clothing is usually a good idea, especially long sleeves, long pants or skirts.
To keep from over-heating and from aggressive mosquito punctures one should wear loose-fitting clothes.

Dengue = Failure of Public health systems in your area.
Dengue = Failure of local government and failure to ask the politicians to do their duty.

Suggested Reading – 

Ayurvedic Treatment Cure  for Dengue Fever – Know 25 Dengue Natural Home Remedies

 
 


Below is the photo of dengue mosquito -