Overview of dengue
Dengue fever (DF) and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) are acute febrile diseases, caused by a family of viruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes. It is transmitted by the bite of an Aedes aegypti (rarely Aedes albopictus) mosquito
Causes of Dengue
Causes of dengue
As said before dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is caused by dengue virus which belongs to genus Flavivirus family Flaviviridae. This virus is transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquito that has previously bitten an
Symptoms of Dengue
Symptoms of dengue
The incubation period of dengue fever is usually 5 – 6 days. However, this period at times may vary between 3 to 10 days. Dengue fever affects one and all, starting from infants to young children and adults. But it is seldom fatal in
Serological tests are used for confirming dengue fever (DF)/dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). These tests detect the presence of IgM antibodies. The IgM antibodies appear at the end of the first week of onset of symptoms.
Treatment for dengue
Treatment for dengue
Dengue is caused by a virus. There is no specific treatment or antibiotic for it. The treatment provided to a patient during dengue infection is mainly supportive in nature which is purely concerned with the relief of the symptoms
Outcome
Typical dengue usually does not result in death. The acute phase of the illness with fever, myalgias and the rest of the symptoms lasts for about one to two weeks. Convalescence is accompanied by a feeling of weakness (asthenia). However, full recovery often takes several weeks.
- Treated DHF/DSS is associated with a 3% mortality rate.
- Untreated DHF/DSS is associated with a 50% mortality rate.
Prevention
The best precaution for Dengue is the prevention of mosquito bites.
- Use insect repellent containing DEET, Picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535 on exposed skin.
- Wear long sleeves and pants.
- Treat the clothes with permethrin or other repellents.
- Use secure screens on windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out.
- Get rid of mosquito sources in and around the house by emptying standing water from flower pots, buckets and barrels. Also, change the water in pet dishes and replace the water in bird baths once every week. In order to drain out water, drill holes in tire swings. Moreover, keep children's wading pools empty while not at use
- Since the infection of dengue essentially requires a mosquito, the transmission of the virus to mosquitoes must be interrupted in order to prevent the illness. To achieve this, infected patients should limit his exposure to mosquito bites and remain confined under mosquito netting until the second bout of fever is over. Thereafter, the infection is no longer contagious.
Vaccination
Currently, no vaccine is available for the prevention of dengue infection. However, immunogenic, safe tetravalent vaccines have been developed and are undergoing clinical trials. Sincethe major risk factor for dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome is the immunity to a single dengue strain, the developed vaccine must provide high levels of immunity to all the four strains of dengue in order to be clinically useful.
Related articles:
Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF)
Written by: Healthplus24 team
Date last updated: July 18, 2011