Healthy Living

  • Dengue is a mosquito-borne, viral infection.
  • The infection causes flu-like illness, and occasionally develops into a potentially lethal complication called severe dengue.

Disease Transmission:

  • Mosquito --- transmitter of disease
  • Environment ----- Helps transmission
  • Man--> Mosquito--> Man
  • Does not spread from an infected person to person
  • Disease occurs more frequently in the rainy season and immediately afterwards (July to October) in India

Who Can Get The Disease?

  • All age groups & both sexes are affected
  • Children > Adults
  • Female > Male (severe)
  • Deaths are more in children during DHF outbreak

Dengue Fever Symptoms

  • Fever: continuous for 3 to 7 days
  • Severe headache
  • Joint pain, muscle pain, pain behind eyeballs
  • Nausea, vomiting, and rash

Symptoms: Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever

  • Nausea and/or Haematemesis (vomiting of blood)
  • Epistaxis (Bleeding from the nose, mouth, or gums)
  • Haematuria (Blood in Urine)
  • Respiratory distress
  • Petechia (Skin rash) and/or Purpura (Lesions)
  • Increased menstrual flow

Danger Signs

  • Abdominal pain - intense and sustained
  • Persistent vomiting
  • Abrupt change from fever to hypothermia, with sweating and prostration
  • Restlessness or somnolence

In very rare cases, the condition may worsen into dengue haemorrhagic fever, leading to internal bleeding, shock, or even death.

Lab Investigation

  • CBC--WBC,
  • platelets,
  • hematocrit
  • Liver function tests
  • Urine--check for microscopic hematuria
  • Dengue-specific tests
  • Virus isolation
  • Antigen : NS1 detection
  • Antibody: IgM,IgG detection

Treatment

  • There is no specific treatment
  • Relieving symptoms and complications:
  • Plasma volume replacement
  • Sedatives for restless patients
  • Blood transfusion with patients with significant blood loss
  • Aspirin should be avoided

Prevention

For protection against mosquitoes

  • Prevent Mosquito breeding
  • Prevent Mosquito bites