Dengue Fever and Its Prevention

"It is dengue!" That diagnosis strikes fear in many people. I know because 2 of my children were victims before. The tremendous stress can be nerve wrecking when you realize that there is currently no cure for this dreaded disease.

Dengue has been mistaken by many as a disease that plagues developing countries. Nothing can be further from the truth as it is a worldwide disease that has been known to mankind for more than 200 years.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, globally, between 50 and 100 million dengue infections occur each year. Included in this statistics are between 100 and 200 cases in USA, mainly in people who have traveled abroad. In 2001, a dengue epidemic occurred in Hawaii. That served as a grim reminder that even developed countries such as the USA are susceptible to the dengue fever.

Dengue fever aka dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is caused by four related dengue viruses.It is also known as break-bone fever because it sometimes causes severe joint and muscle pain that feels like bones are breaking.

Dengue fever is manifested by the classic dengue fever that usually lasts about six to seven days. Clinically, the patient's blood platelet count will drop until his/her temperature is normal.

Other symptoms include a sudden onset of severe headache, muscle, joint pains and rashes. The dengue rash is characteristically bright red and usually appears first on the lower limbs and the chest; in some patients, it spreads to cover most of the body. There may also be gastritis with some combination of associated abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

Currently, there is no commercial cure for the dengue fever. Fortunately, there are precautionary measures that can be taken to prevent dengue fever.

1. The best way to prevent dengue virus infection is to take special precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.

2. You can use a mosquito repellent containing N. N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET), picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus.

3. Make sure you dress in protective clothing-long-sleeved shirts, long pants, socks, and shoes

4. As Aedes mosquitoes usually bite during the day, be sure to take precautions, especially during early morning hours before daybreak and in the late afternoon before dark.

5. Always remember to keep unscreened windows and doors closed

6. Make absolutely sure that you get rid of areas where mosquitoes breed, such as standing water in flower pots, basins, containers, pot-holes, etc.

7. Use larvicide treatment to control the vector larvae.

8. There are some very effective insect growth regulators (IGR's) available which are both safe and long-lasting (e.g. pyriproxyfen).

9. Fogging with insecticide can be effective in reducing the adult mosquito population.

10. As an added precaution, use a mosquito net whenever it is feasible.

11. If you have a pond in your house, keep some fish in it to feed on any larva.

Dengue fever is a worldwide disease that has no commercial cure. There are many preventive measures that can be taken against this disease. All it takes is some efforts and we can protect our family against this much dreaded disease.

Source:

"Fact sheet: Dengue and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever" Center for Disease Control and Prevention