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Dengue is an acute fever caused by a virus. It occurs in
two forms:
1. Dengue
Fever
2. Dengue
Haemorrhagic Fever
Dengue fever is marked by the onset of sudden high fever,
severe headache and pain behind the eyes, muscles and joints.
Dengue Haemorrhagic fever (DHF)
is a more severe form, in which bleeding and sometimes shock occurs – leading
to death. It is most serious in children. Symptoms of bleeding usually occur
after 3-5 days of fever.
The high fever continues for five to six days (103 – 105
OF or 39- 40 OC). It comes down on the third or the fourth day but rises
again. The patient feels much discomfort and is very weak after the illness.
Dengue spreads rapidly and may affect large number of
people during an epidemic resulting in reduced work productivity, but most
importantly causing the loss of lives.
 Sudden onset of high fever
Severe headache (mostly in the forehead)
Pain behind the eyes which worsens with eye
movement
Body aches and joint pains
Nausea or vomiting
 RECOGNITION OF DENGUE HAEMORRHAGIC
FEVER AND SHOCK
Symptoms similar to dengue fever plus, any one of the
following:
(1) Severe and continuous pain in abdomen;
(2) Bleeding from the nose, mouth and gums or skin
bruising;
(3) Frequent vomiting with or without blood;
(4) Black stools, like coal tar;
(5) Excessive thirst (dry mouth)
(6) Pale, cold skin
(7) Restlessness, or sleepiness
There is no specific medicine for the treatment of the
disease. However proper and early treatment can relieve the symptoms and
prevent complications and death. Aspirin
and Brufen should be avoided in dengue fever, as it
is known to increase the bleeding tendency and also it increases the stomach
pain. Paracetamol can be given on medical
advice. If one or more signs of Dengue
Haemorrhagic fever are seen, take the patient to
the hospital immediately. Give fluids to drink while transferring the patient
to the hospital.
BASIC
FACTS ON DENGUE
(a) How
dengue spreads?
Dengue is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito Aedes aegypti. The mosquito
gets the virus by biting the infected persons. The first symptoms of the
disease occur about 5-7 days after an infected bite.
There is no way to tell if a mosquito is carrying the
dengue virus. Therefore, people must protect themselves from all mosquito
bites.
(b) Where
does the mosquito live?
The mosquito rests indoors, in closets and other dark
places. Outside, they rest where it is cool and shaded. The female mosquito
lays her eggs in water containers in and around homes, schools and other
areas in towns or villages. These eggs become adult in about 10 days.
(c) Where
does the mosquito breed?
Dengue mosquitoes breed in stored exposed water
collections. Favoured breeding places are:
Barrels, drums, jars, pots, buckets, flower vases, plant
saucers, tanks, discarded bottles, tins, tyres,
water cooler, etc. and a lot more places where rain-water collects or is
stored.
All efforts of control should be directed against the
mosquitoes. It is important to take control measures to eliminate the
mosquitoes and their breeding places. However, the efforts should be
intensified before the transmission season (during and after the rainy season)
and at the time of the epidemic.
Dengue mosquitoes bite
during the daytime. Protect yourself from the bite.\
(1) Wear full sleeve clothes and long dresses to
cover the limbs;
(2) Repellent – care should be taken in using
repellents on small children and the elderly;
(3) Use mosquito coils and electric vapour mats during the daytime to prevent Dengue;
(4) Use mosquito nets – to protect babies, old
people and others, who may rest during the day. The effectiveness of such
nets can be improved by treating them with permethrin
(pyrethroid insecticide). Curtains (cloth or
bamboo) can also be treated with insecticide and hung at windows or doorways,
to repel or kill mosquitoes.
(5) Protection of people sick with dengue –
Mosquitoes become infected when they bite people who are sick with dengue.
Mosquito nets and mosquito nets and mosquito coils will effectively prevent
mosquitoes from biting sick people and help stop the spread of dengue
Mosquitoes which spread dengue live and breed in and
around houses.
Drain water from coolers, tanks, barrels,
drums and buckets, etc.;
There should be no water in coolers when not
in use;
Remove from the house all objects, e.g. plant
saucers, etc. which have water collected in them;
Remove water from refrigerator drip pans every
other day;
All stored water containers should be kept
covered all the time;
Discard solid waste and objects where water
collects, e.g. bottles, tins, tyres, etc.
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ALWAYS REMEMBER
Dengue is a serious viral disease
transmitted by the bite of the mosquito;
Dengue infection occurs in two forms: Dengue
fever and Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever;
Dengue fever is a severe flu like illness
that affects older children and adults but rarely causes death;
Dengue haemorrhagic
fever (DHF) is a more severe form, in which bleeding and occasionally shock
occur, leading to death, mostly in children;
Persons suspected of having dengue fever or
DHF must see a doctor at once. Dengue haemorrhagic
fever is a deadly disease and early recognition and treatment can save
lives. Unless proper treatment is given promptly, the patient may go into
shock and die.
Severe abdominal pains (black stools),
bleeding on the skin or from the nose or gums, sweating, cold skin are
danger signs. If any one of them is noticed
take the patient to a hospital immediately. Give fluids to drink
during transfer to the hospital;
Give nutritious food and fluids to drink to
the patients;
Dengue mosquitoes bite during the day;
The patient should be kept under a mosquito
net or in a screened room during the period of illness;
Screen your rooms against mosquitoes or use
mosquito nets or use mosquito repellent;
Discard objects in which water collects,
e.g. tins, cans, coconut shells, etc. Do not allow water to collect in pits
around your houses. All stored water containers should be covered all the
time. This will prevent breeding of Dengue mosquitoes, and
Doctors and health workers treating cases of
dengue fever should also notify the health authorities.
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