How To Prevent Dengue? Fever Symptoms, Severity, Infection Cycle
What Is Dengue?
Dengue fever is an acute viral disease caused by the Flavivirus of the family Flaviviridae. The term “dengue” is a Spanish attempt at the Swahili phrase “Ki denga pepo” meaning “cramp-like seizure” caused by an evil spirit.
It’s a disease of tropical and subtropical regions that occurs epidemically, very much similar to chikungunya.
This disease is also called “breakbone” fever because it sometimes causes severe joint & muscle pain that feels like bones are breaking, hence the name.
The illness is usually self-limiting and can last up to 10 days, but complete recovery can take as long as a month.
How Dengue Spreads?
Dengue fever is noncontagious i.e., not an airborne infection (an infected person cannot spread the infection to other persons but can be a source of dengue virus for mosquitoes for about 6 days from the start of symptoms).
Dengue virus is transmitted to humans through mosquito bites, a specific species of mosquito usually Aedes aegypti (but frequently Aedes albopictus) which bites during morning hours. The mosquito transmits disease by biting an infected person and then biting someone else, similar to the spread of chikungunya.
The incubation period (i.e., period from infection till the manifestation of symptoms) is 4 to 6 days, but may vary with a range of 3 to 14 days.
This disease is a vector borne infection i.e., mosquito is the vector (carrier) of the virus believed to cause this fever and the vector is common both in dengue and chikungunya.
Dengue Fever Symptoms
Symptoms of typical (classic) dengue usually start with fever within 5 to 6 days after someone is bitten by an infected mosquito. Symptoms are more or less similar to that of chikungunya and include:
- High-grade fever.
- Severe headache.
- Severe joint and muscle pain.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Skin rash – The rash may appear over most of the body 3 to 4 days after fever.
- Bleeding from the nose, gums or under the skin, causing purplish bruises.
Dengue Severity Classification
Four grades of severity are recognized: Grade I, fever and constitutional symptoms; grade II, grade I plus spontaneous bleeding (of skin, gums, or gastrointestinal tract); grade III, grade II plus agitation and circulatory failure; grade IV, profound shock.
Dengue Synonyms
Exanthesis arthrosia, Aden fever, bouquet fever, breakbone fever, dandy fever, date fever, dengue fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever, polka fever, solar fever, scarlatina rheumatica.
Dengue Diagnosis
Dengue fever can be diagnosed by performing blood test to detect antibodies against the virus.
How To Prevent Dengue?
Prevention is basically by:
- Avoiding mosquito bites (by using mosquito repellents containing DEET, picaridin (KBR3023) or oil of lemon eucalyptus)
- Eliminating pockets of stagnant water that serve as mosquito breeding sites at home, workplaces and their vicinity,
- Not storing water in open containers. Covering all water containers with lids.
- Preventing mosquito entry by keeping doors closed and windows screened.
- Wearing protective clothing like long-sleeved shirts, long pants, socks and shoes when outdoors.
- Using mosquito nets at home.
- Scrubbing and cleaning margins of containers used for water (to dislodge the eggs of Aedes aegypti)
- Covering overhead tank to prevent access to mosquitoes.
- Aedes mosquitoes usually bite during the day; therefore, special precautions should be taken during early morning hours before day break and in the late afternoon before dark.
- There is no commercially available dengue vaccine (for dengue Flavivirus).
Dengue Treatment And Prognosis
Prognosis for dengue fever is good, if the infectious disease is treated on time. However the mortality rate can be as high as 15%. Hence immediate medical attention should be sought in suspected cases with dengue fever.
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how to prevent dengue in our country?
I think this article on preventing dengue could help you out.
This is a very good summary of the dengue fever. In my country Sri Lanka dengue has become a menace. It kills 50 people average per month. Please focus your attention for the poor people (mostly young children) dying in our country due to this menace.
i think people should know this because this imformation is good to know. this is only my opinion thank you…….
this article is very well done!!! Although it contains limited facts, it summarizes all the information we should know on how to prevent DENGUE…it is really GREAT!!!
this is a great site containing a lot of info. Students should search info in this site , specially if its about dengue
well its great. i was finding information from last 1 day and i found this site its great will tell my mate to use this site…..
Voluntary work needed to be done to spread Dengue- chikenguniea prevention measures, Like old retired people (what are these people doing), Housewives, students as part of their voluntary works. Self inspection is must to see water stagnation etc.
Colony cleanliness drive by RWA and MCD on war scale with public involvement and donations/ contribution.
Penalty blacklisting and social pressure for the persons who do not follow the guidelines
mono
Raj
Could u tell me any other preventive measures.??
can u tell me how to prevent mosquito diseases
Prevent the formation of mosquitoes thereby prevent the diseases by the mosquitoes. Quite simple, isn’t it?
good job this is the most or top answers in my questions i hope that many people subscribes you.
i live i south america, i’m 64 and had dengue fever last may ’11, fortunately i survived, thanks God. it was horrible! live in an all bushy area, nearby a stream; also last year there was a great impact of trash from a popular restaurant (50 cents a complete meal, 1.200 meals a day)installed next to the house;it was welcomed, but people exit and throw on the ground plastic cups with liquids all over the area, after the rains you imagine the breeding of mosquitoes. i used to rearange my trash bin outside at night with gloves, including the litters around it. there was created 2 holes on the street in front of the house by heavier trucks including the nightly trash collectors,keeping it flooded after rains, i also kept the pc room partially open at night with fans. It was end of april, after hot summer and floods. One of these conditions keep the disease around. 2 of my neighbors had dengue too. I can’t sleep at night, i keep the fans on all the time and it’s cool as winter, my family lived here for the last 40 yrs, but i am working to leave this place, unfortunately. the local mayor has stated that next summer it will only get the same or worse, many people died here from it recently. i had fever, weakness, painful joints, some nausea, n bed had to drink over a galon of water per day and dipirona (painkiller) only,no aspirin as it may worsen to hemorragy. my red cells dropped,if it gets to less than 50 one is in high danger. seek immediate medical help in any case, specially keep from standing water, marshy areas, wet mud, all covered and sprayed before outings. Thanks for the posts and sharing. God bless.
Though hard to digest, the message is clear and simple. Keep your surroundings clean from water getting clogged and try to avoid bitten by mosquitoes. If you are helpless and things are not within your control, then quit the place!
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