PREVENT DENGUE

Recently, Dengue has become an epidemic in the city of Mumbai. In the past few months, many people have been diagnosed with this disease and its spreading rapidly. I have tried to collect some useful information regarding Dengue. Kindly spread aware awareness regarding this issue by sharing it. Let’s try to keep our city clean.

Dengue is a painful, debilitating mosquito-borne disease caused by any one of four closely related dengue viruses. These viruses are related to the viruses that cause West Nile infection and yellow fever.

Each year, an estimated 100 million cases of dengue fever occur worldwide

DENGUE MOSQUITO - AEDES AEGYPTI

The mosquito Aedes aegypti is responsible for transmitting dengue viruses between people. In some localities other mosquitoes can also contribute to transmission but their contribution is very minor.

Aedes aegypti originates from Africa, but is now distributed globally in tropical and subtropical regions. Global redistribution was assisted by mass human migrations, first to the New World associated with the slave trade between the 15th to 19th centuries and secondly to Asia as a result of trade during the 18th to 19th centuries. Worldwide redistribution occurred after World War II following troop movement.

Added to this global distribution of the mosquitoes, rapid human population growth and increased urbanization has led to substandard housing, inadequate water supply and waste management systems and consequently an abundance of mosquito breeding sites. Storage of drinking water and other urban water, containers including plant-pot bases, guttering, tarpaulins and tyres and discarded containers can all collect rainwater and provide habitat for Aedes aegypti larvae.

Importantly, mosquitoes do not naturally carry the dengue virus but must acquire it from a dengue-infected person before they can transmit it to another person. Only female mosquitoes bite, requiring the blood for egg production, and therefore only female mosquitoes transmit the dengue virus.

SYMPTOMS OF DENGUE FEVER

Symptoms, which usually begin four to six days after infection and last for up to 10 days, may include

·         **Sudden, high fever

·         **Severe headaches

·        **   Pain behind the eyes

·        ** Severe joint and muscle pain

·        **  Nausea

·        **   Vomiting

·         **Skin rash, which appears three to four days after the onset of fever

·        ** Mild bleeding (such a nose bleed, bleeding gums, or easy bruising)

Sometimes symptoms are mild and can be mistaken for those of the fluor another viral infection. Younger children and people who have never had the infection before tend to have milder cases than older children and adults. However, serious problems can develop. These include dengue hemorrhagic fever, a rare complication characterized by high fever, damage to lymph and blood vessels, bleeding from the nose and gums, enlargement of the liver, and failure of the circulatory system. The symptoms may progress to massive bleeding, shock, and death. This is called dengue shock syndrome (DSS).

People with weakened immune systems as well as those with a second or subsequent dengue infection are believed to be at greater risk for developing dengue hemorrhagic fever.

TREATMENT

There is no known vaccine to treat dengue; prevention is the only way to keep away from the virus. Hospitals offer only supportive care in order to maintain the body fluid levels and platelet transfusion in case it drops to extremely low. (A normal platelet count in a healthy individual is between 150,000 and 450,000 per microlitre of blood).

PREVENTION AND CONTROL

Prevention is the only way to combat the mosquito-borne disease. Prevent measures include:

i) These mosquitoes breed in accumulated water and unhygienic conditions. The best way is to eliminate all the possible breeding grounds for the mosquitoes
ii) Regular cleaning, emptying and covering of water storage containers
iii) Using mosquito repellents, nets
iv) Wear long-sleeved clothes

WHAT TO DO INCASE DIGANOSED WITH DENGUE

Hospitalization is not required until one is suffering from severe dengue or has preexisting health conditions. It can be well managed at home as hospitals provide only supportive care.

1. Take all preventive measure as being infected with another stereotype of dengue when already diagnosed with one can be fatal
2. Try to maintain body fluid level, with ample intake of water and oral rehydration solution in short intervals.
3. Though there is no specific diet for dengue patients it is important to avoid spicy and oily food. Eat food that can be easily digested like boiled vegetables, rice gruel, porridge, soup, toast, apples, and bananas. Crushed juice of two fresh papaya leaves is a good home remedy for dengue fever. Chymopapin and papin - enzymes in the papaya leaf - help revive platelet count.
4. Paracetamol is used to bring down fever, however, painkiller like ibuprofen and aspirin should be avoided as they reduce platelet count and increase risk of bleeding.
5. Go for blood test, monitor BP regularly and follow up the condition with the doctor.

So friends be safe, be clean and prevent a mosquito bite