Dengue fever is a viral infection spread to human beings by the bite of a specific mosquito ‘CULICINE’, belonging to the gene ‘Aedes’. Otherwise commonly it is known as AEDES mosquito. The virus DENV, which is having four groups-1, 2.3, and 4 are found in the body of aedes mosquito. When a human being is bitten by it, the virus is lodged in human body. Out of 4 groups of virus, no.1 is most prevalent. The word dengue is pronounced ‘dengi’.It is mostly found in tropical and sub-tropical countries. South East Asian countries including India, Africa, Southern parts of United States and Northern parts of South America are mostly affected. Around 100 million cases are found in a year through out globe. This disease was specified and the name ‘dengue fever’ was given in 1779.The first epidemic of dengue was in 1780, covering Asia, Africa and North America.
History- the exact origin is not clear. But first of all it started in Africa and spread to other regions, mostly by slave trade and travelers. Some others claim-it first appeared in Malay Peninsula of Indo-China. We can chronologically put the ‘Dengue Epidemic’ as follows.1.-Chin dynasty, China-265 to 420 A.D. 2-.Cairo and Alexandria in Egypt in 1799.3-Jakarta (Indonesia) in1799.4-Philadelphia (U.S.A.) in1780 and 5-Madras, India in 1780.
The behavior of aedes mosquito is unlike female anopheles causing Malaria. One similarity-both malaria and dengue are from female ones. But dengue mosquito aedes does bite a person from dawn to dusk only, while malaria one does bite at night (nocturnal).Aedes mosquito does not fly. It jumps 3 to4 feet from ground. That is why-school going children walking early in the morning without proper cover of feet, calf and knee are more vulnerable to get the bite and suffer from the disease.
The incubation period of dengue is 5 to 6 days. It may be also from 3 to 10 days.
Differential diagnosis-Dengue is to be differentiated from 1) Chinkungunya 2) Japanese Encephalitis 3) Leptospirosis 4) Rickettssiosis (Rocky Mountain spotted fever) and 5) Typhoid.
No vaccine is available for dengue fever.
SYMPTOMS-3 to 10 days after bite, sudden high fever, severe body ache allover the body, severe joint pain (that is why dengue is also known as (BREAK BONE FEVER), the patient suffers from. Besides half of the people affected, do have bright and red rashes in the body. Milder form of the disease, if progresses to severe form, there is persistent high fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, bleeding, circulatory failure, shock and death. Blood vomiting sometimes occurs.
One saving grace-it is not infectious, but humid, warm climate aggravates the disease. Platelet, one of the components of the blood, whose normal value should be 150,000/cmm, goes down drastically and bleeding occurs in serious patients.
There is no specific treatment for dengue fever. But analgesics to relieve pain and antipyretics to bring down high fever can be used. Paracetamol is the drug of choice. But analgesics having salicylates (aspirin) should never be given, which will worsen the condition and bleeding and vomiting may lead one to death. Plenty of oral rehydration salt (ORS), cold application to head can be given. In case of bleeding, blood serum or substitute and blood transfusion should be given. Oxygen inhalation can be utilized. In milder cases, mortality is negligent; but in serious cases proper care can save the valuable life. In severe cases, once platelet in blood comes back to more than half of the normal limit, patient gradually recovers.
As precautionary measure, school or college going ones or even general people should cover the lower half of the body (don’t mix up dress code here!), to avoid the bite of aedes mosquitoes, where there is out break of dengue fever.
I HOPE THIS ARTICLE OF MINE WILL AROUSE PUBLIC AWARENESS.
History- the exact origin is not clear. But first of all it started in Africa and spread to other regions, mostly by slave trade and travelers. Some others claim-it first appeared in Malay Peninsula of Indo-China. We can chronologically put the ‘Dengue Epidemic’ as follows.1.-Chin dynasty, China-265 to 420 A.D. 2-.Cairo and Alexandria in Egypt in 1799.3-Jakarta (Indonesia) in1799.4-Philadelphia (U.S.A.) in1780 and 5-Madras, India in 1780.
The behavior of aedes mosquito is unlike female anopheles causing Malaria. One similarity-both malaria and dengue are from female ones. But dengue mosquito aedes does bite a person from dawn to dusk only, while malaria one does bite at night (nocturnal).Aedes mosquito does not fly. It jumps 3 to4 feet from ground. That is why-school going children walking early in the morning without proper cover of feet, calf and knee are more vulnerable to get the bite and suffer from the disease.
The incubation period of dengue is 5 to 6 days. It may be also from 3 to 10 days.
Differential diagnosis-Dengue is to be differentiated from 1) Chinkungunya 2) Japanese Encephalitis 3) Leptospirosis 4) Rickettssiosis (Rocky Mountain spotted fever) and 5) Typhoid.
No vaccine is available for dengue fever.
SYMPTOMS-3 to 10 days after bite, sudden high fever, severe body ache allover the body, severe joint pain (that is why dengue is also known as (BREAK BONE FEVER), the patient suffers from. Besides half of the people affected, do have bright and red rashes in the body. Milder form of the disease, if progresses to severe form, there is persistent high fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, bleeding, circulatory failure, shock and death. Blood vomiting sometimes occurs.
One saving grace-it is not infectious, but humid, warm climate aggravates the disease. Platelet, one of the components of the blood, whose normal value should be 150,000/cmm, goes down drastically and bleeding occurs in serious patients.
There is no specific treatment for dengue fever. But analgesics to relieve pain and antipyretics to bring down high fever can be used. Paracetamol is the drug of choice. But analgesics having salicylates (aspirin) should never be given, which will worsen the condition and bleeding and vomiting may lead one to death. Plenty of oral rehydration salt (ORS), cold application to head can be given. In case of bleeding, blood serum or substitute and blood transfusion should be given. Oxygen inhalation can be utilized. In milder cases, mortality is negligent; but in serious cases proper care can save the valuable life. In severe cases, once platelet in blood comes back to more than half of the normal limit, patient gradually recovers.
As precautionary measure, school or college going ones or even general people should cover the lower half of the body (don’t mix up dress code here!), to avoid the bite of aedes mosquitoes, where there is out break of dengue fever.
I HOPE THIS ARTICLE OF MINE WILL AROUSE PUBLIC AWARENESS.
