Overview:

Dengue Fever
Dengue Fever


Dengue Fever or Dengue virus is a mosquito-borne disease, caused by one of the four viruses propagated by the Aedes Egypt mosquito. According to CDC, yearly, over 400 million dengue virus cases are reported all across the globe. Many regions of the world are highly affected by the dengue virus. In some countries, the dengue virus comes every year and thousands of people die of it.

The most affected regions by the dengue virus are:

  • Asia 

  • Africa

  • South Asia

  • Mexico

  • The Caribbean

  • Atlantic Islands

  • Pacific Islands

  • Sub-continent

  • Taiwan

  • Some regions of China

While the rate of dengue in regions like America is almost negligible.

What is dengue:

Dengue is a disease, spread by Aedes mosquitos, and causes a certain fever which can be life-threatening. When an infected Aedes mosquito( scientific name: Aedes aegypti), bites a human, the dengue virus transmits in the person. According to an estimate, about half the billion population of planet Earth is at risk of dengue.

Symptoms of Dengue fever:

Like Covid 19, the symptoms of dengue fever also start after 5-10 days of being infected. In the rainy season, people become so superstitious and take common symptoms of flu as dengue which is not good, this is mostly due to hearing of dengue news.

Initially, the symptoms of dengue are mild like common flu but with time the severeness of symptoms arises. Like many other diseases, the severeness of symptoms varies with the age. Young people usually have mild symptoms and old people could have severe symptoms. Some of the symptoms of dengue fever are given below:

  • Unusual Fever(between 103-106 F)

  • Severe Headache and Backache

  • Muscle and joints pain

  • Skin rashes

  • Vomiting(2-3 times a day)

  • Restlessness, fatigue, and tiredness

  • Pain in stomach

  • Bleeding gums and blood from nose and mouth

Diagnosis of Dengue Fever:

It is the important question that how can we determine that whether our fever is usual or it is dengue fever?

For this you should see your doctor, a doctor will do a blood test to check the presence of the dengue virus in the blood. Two of the tests are given below:

Serological test:

This test uses antibodies to determine the presence of a virus in the blood. This test is also used to determine covid-19.

Virological test:

This is a direct test. In this test, the virus is detected directly with the use of some advanced medical equipment and some trained medical staff.

Transmission of Dengue virus:

After listening to the word “dengue”, the first thing, which comes to our minds is mosquitoes, because they are the main source of dengue transmission. Dengue is not a virus like covid-19, which transmits from person to person. The possible conditions of transmission of dengue are given below:

From Mosquitoes:

Mosquitoes are the main cause of the transmission of dengue, Aedes mosquito plays a significant role, these mosquitoes are themselves infected with the virus. Aedes mosquitoes lay eggs in or near clean water. The most suitable places are Tub-full of water, plants-pots, bowls, and animal dishes in the home. 

Like all other mosquitoes, Aedes mosquitoes also tend to bite humans. They suck the blood and release their saliva into human blood. As the mosquitoes were affected themselves, when their infected saliva passes into human blood, the same virus is transmitted to the human. The virus spreads and causes fever and illness.

From Mother to Child:
This happens in fewer cases, when a woman is pregnant and gets affected with the dengue virus, it is possible that the virus could reach the baby in her womb. So, pregnant women should care for themselves more than normal people do.

Another way of transmission of dengue fever is breastfeeding. When a baby sucks milk from her mother’s breasts, it could be possible that the baby will also be affected by the virus of the mother. So, if you have been positive about dengue, avoid breastfeeding, because dengue can be very harmful to toddlers.

How to treat dengue fever:

By the present time, there is no specific vaccine or medications made for dengue. If you experience certain symptoms of dengue in your body, you should take aspirins to lessen the fever and should contact your doctor because dengue can be very dangerous.

Drinking fluids and following the guidance of your doctor are the primary ways to treat dengue. If you feel worsen, it means that you need certain medical care in the hospital to survive dengue. Especially, An older person should not take dengue easy.

Preventions and precautions:

This is the most important point to know because if you try to prevent dengue fever and do certain precautions, dengue can be eradicated. The government of many countries raises awareness about dengue fever in a certain season of disease.

Dengue does not have a specific vaccine but a vaccine “Dengvaxia” was launched in 2017. It was not very recommended because it has some side effects. There are many other vaccines are being developed to prevent dengue. The best treatment for dengue is to follow precautions and avoid exposure to mosquitoes. Some primary precautions are given below:

  • Wear full-sleeve shirts and wear socks

  • Don’t let your windows open.

  • Use mosquito repellents 

  • Sleep in mosquito nets, if your area is at risk

  • Don’t let water stay at any place

  • Turn off the washroom and other taps after use

  • Don’t let water in animals bowls, birds bowls, or flower pots

  • Ensure that your house is fully clean