Dengue
a silent killer
Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection. The virus is called Dengue virus and the mosquito that carries infection is female Aedes aegypti and albopictus.
Majority of Dengue disease cases present with flu like symptoms.Typically a person develops fever after 5-7 days of being bitten by an infective mosquito. In Dengue fever, the symptoms last 2-4 days and longer if severe disease.
Why is Dengue a Problem?
During COVID-19 pandemic, the vector borne disease outbreaks of Dengue are likely to worsen health outcomes if they co-exist due to compounded effect of haemorrhagic and cytokine response. This is of a bigger concern in endemic areas for Dengue, malaria, etc when the population faces two simultaneous outbreaks of COVID-19 and seasonal Dengue outbreak.
Why is Dengue a Problem?
INDIA
GLOBAL
Globally, estimated 390 million Dengue infections/ year, 96 million manifest clinically.
HYDER-
ABAD
Dengue and COVID-19
How does Dengue spread?
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Dengue virus in India, is primarily spread by mosquitoes of species Aedes aegypti.
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The Aedes mosquito is a day-biter. Only the female aedes mosquito bite as they need protein from hemoglobin for the development of eggs.
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When a mosquito bites a dengue infected person, it gets infected and after 4-8 days of extrinsic incubation period, can spread dengue to any person it bites.
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Aedes mosquito breeds almost entirely in man-made water receptacles found in and around households, construction sites and factories.
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The mosquito larva grows in the stagnant water and in just over a week’s time becomes a fully developed adult mosquito.
Aedes aegypti
A day biting mosquito, breeds in man-made water habitats
Community effort
We Require a community effort to deal with this threat.
500 meters radius
Aedes mosquito flies upto 500 metres from its main breeding sites.
WHO
WHO suggests five key elements to achieve Dengue control:
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Diagnosis and case management
- Integrated surveillance and outbreak preparedness
- Sustainable vector control
- Future vaccine implementation
- Basic operational and implementation research
Watchout for these symptoms
Illness caused by dengue virus is characterized by a high fever and at least two of the following
Severe headache
Pain behind eyes
Low white cell count
muscle and/or bone pain
Fatigue
Rash
Nausea/vomiting
Swollen glands
Treatment
- There is no specific treatment for dengue.
- Symptomatic treatment is given based on symptoms.
- No vaccines currently available for dengue
- It is self-limiting and mostly severe cases require hospitalization/blood platelet transfusion, and other supportive treatment.
- Supportive therapy and hospitalization might be required for more severe form with bleeding tendencies (Dengue haemorrhagic fever) and shock (Dengue shock syndrome).
Prevention
The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes during the daytime. Dengue is an avoidable nuisance which can be tackled effectively through the following simple measures
Adult vector control measures
- Nets & Screens
- Use window screens at home
- Outdoor and indoor spraying
- spraying of walls of homes to kill mosquitoes
Larvae Control measures
- Clear clogged drains and stagnant water
- Proper waste disposal
- Throw away water containers
- Cover open containers in your house
- Breed small fishes in ponds around you
Personal protection measures
- Apply mosquito repellants and use Safe Insecticides
- Wear long bright clothing
- sleeping under bed nets
- spraying of walls of homes to kill mosquitoes
FAQ's
Frequently Asked Questions
Send in your questions to projectfever@drreddys.com
- Severe pain in the abdomen
- Persistent vomiting
- Bleeding in the skin (appearing as small red or purplish spots)
- Nose bleeds
- Bleeding from gums
- Passage of black stools like coal tar
Take the patient to a hospital whenever the first two signs – severe abdominal pain and persistent vomiting – are detected. Usually it is too late for effective treatment if we wait until bleeding has occurred. The most dangerous type of dengue is dengue shock syndrome (DSS). It is recognized by signs such as:
- Excessive thirst
- Pale and cold skin (due to very low blood pressure)
- Restlessness
- A feeling of weakness
Recent FAQ's
Can I get dengue fever from another person?
Dengue is not contagious. It does not spread directly from person-to-person through physical contact. It only spreads through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. When an infected person is bitten by a mosquito, the mosquito might later bite other people. Therefore, patients should be protected against contact with mosquitoes. This can be achieved by ensuring that people follow preventive measures (described below).
Can dengue fever be treated at home?
Most patients with dengue fever can be treated at home. They should take rest, drink plenty of fluids and maintain a nutritious diet. Whenever available, oral rehydration salts (commonly used in treating diarrhoea) should be taken. Sufficient fluid intake is very important, and becomes critical if the fever progresses into dengue haemorrhagic fever, where loss of body fluid/blood is the most salient feature. It is important to look out for danger signs and contact the doctor as soon as one or more of these are noticed.
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