Dengue Fever..
The virus is contracted from the bite of a striped Aedes
aegypti mosquito that has previously bitten an infected person. The mosquito
flourishes during rainy seasons but can breed in water-filled flower pots,
plastic bags, and cans year-round. One mosquito bite can cause the disease.
The virus is not contagious and cannot be spread directly
from person to person. It is mosquito-borne, so there must be a
person-to-mosquito-to-another-person pathway. The full life cycle of the virus
involves the mosquito as the vector (transmitter) and the human as the source
of infection.
It is an acute illness of sudden onset that usually follows
a benign course with symptoms such as headache, fever, exhaustion, severe
muscle and joint pain, swollen lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy), and rash. The
presence of fever, itchy rash, and headache (the "dengue triad") is
characteristic of dengue. Other signs of dengue fever include bleeding gums,
severe pain behind the eyes, and red palms and soles.
Dengue (pronounced DENG-gay) can affect anyone but tends to
be more severe in people with compromised immune systems. Because it is caused
by one of five serotypes of the dengue virus, it is possible to get dengue
fever multiple times. However, an attack of dengue produces immunity for a
lifetime to that particular viral serotype to which the patient was exposed.
Dengue goes by other names, including "breakbone
fever" or "dandy fever." Victims of dengue often have
contortions due to the intense pain in the joints, muscles, and bones, hence
the name breakbone fever. Slaves in the West Indies who contracted dengue were
said to have dandy fever because of their postures and gait.
Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a more severe form of the viral
illness. Symptoms include headache, fever, rash, and evidence of bleeding
(hemorrhage) in the body. Petechiae (small red spots or purple splotches or
blisters under the skin), bleeding in the nose or gums, black stools, or easy
bruising are all possible signs of hemorrhage. This form of dengue fever can be
life-threatening and can progress to the most severe form of the illness,
dengue shock syndrome.
What geographic areas are at high risk for contracting
dengue fever?
Dengue is prevalent throughout the tropics and subtropics.
Outbreaks have occurred recently in the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico, the
U.S. Virgin Islands, Cuba, and Central America. Cases have also been imported
via tourists returning from areas with widespread dengue, including Tahiti,
Singapore, the South Pacific, including the Philippines, Southeast Asia, the
West Indies, India, and the Middle East (similar in distribution to the areas
of the world that harbor malaria and yellow fever). Dengue is now the leading
cause of acute febrile illness in U.S. travelers returning from the Caribbean,
South America, and Asia.
What are dengue fever symptoms and signs?
Dengue fever starts with symptoms of chills, headache, pain
in the back of the eyes that may worsen upon moving the eyes, appetite loss,
feeling unwell (malaise), and low backache. Painful aching in the legs and
joints occurs during the first hours of illness. The temperature rises quickly
as high as 104 F (40 C), with relatively low heart rate (bradycardia) and low
blood pressure (hypotension). The eyes become reddened. A flushing or pale pink
rash comes over the face and then disappears. The lymph nodes in the neck and
groin are often swollen.
High fever and other signs of dengue last for two to four
days, followed by a rapid drop in body temperature (defervescence) with profuse
sweating. This precedes a period with normal temperature and a sense of
well-being that lasts about a day. A second rapid rise in temperature follows.
A characteristic itchy rash (small red spots, called petechiae) appears along
with the fever and spreads from the extremities to cover the entire body except
the face. The palms and soles may be bright red and swollen.
What tests do health care providers use to diagnose dengue
fever?
The diagnosis of dengue fever is usually made when a patient
exhibits the typical clinical symptoms of headache, high fever, eye pain,
severe muscle aches, and petechial rash and has a history of being in an area
where dengue fever is endemic. Dengue fever can be difficult to diagnose
because its symptoms overlap with those of many other viral illnesses, such as
West Nile virus and chikungunya fever.
Health care professionals may use a blood test called the
DENV Detect IgM Capture ELISA to diagnose people with dengue fever. The FDA
notes that the test may also give a positive result when a person has a closely
related virus, such West Nile disease.
What is the treatment for dengue fever?
Because dengue fever is caused by a virus, there are no
specific antibiotics to treat it. Antiviral medications are also not indicated
for dengue fever. For typical dengue, the treatment is concerned with relief of
the symptoms and signs. Home remedies such as rest and fluid intake (oral
rehydration) are important. Pain relievers such as aspirin and nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) should only be taken under a doctor's
supervision because of the possibility of worsening bleeding complications.
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and codeine may be given for severe headache and for
joint and muscle pain (myalgia).
Patients hospitalized for dengue may receive IV fluids.
The prognosis for dengue is usually good. The worst symptoms
of the illness typically last one to two weeks, and most patients will fully
recover within several additional weeks.
Typical dengue is fatal in less than 1% of cases; however,
dengue hemorrhagic fever is fatal in 2.5% of cases. If dengue hemorrhagic fever
is not treated, mortality (death) rates can be as high as 20%-50%.
NOTE….Avoid aspirin and aspirin products or vitamin E
because they will exacerbate bleeding..
Instead drink green juices and eat green vegetables which contain
vitamin K.. This will raise blood platelets and help lessen or eliminate
bleeding..
To prevent Dengue buy mosquito repellent for yourself and
family.. it is a simple preventive measure..