What is Dengue Fever? Symptoms & Necessary Precautions to be taken against Dengue Fever...

Precautions to prevent dengue fever are far better than getting infected. With some necessary dengue feverprecautions one can get rid of it and can easily deal with dengue virus before its deadly affect.

What is Dengue Fever?
Dengue fever also known as breakbone fever is a serious viral disease transmitted by the bite of Aedes albopictus mosquito. Dengue is inflicted in two forms: dengue fever and the dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF).
Dengue fever is yet severe but does not cause death whereas in Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) bleeding from nose starts and is a fatal disease leading to death if not cured on time.

Where Does Aedes Albopictus Mosquito Found?
Aedes Albopictus Mosquito causes dengue anddengue haemorrhagic fever. It breeds in small openings, leaf axils, flower and plants pots, discarded tyres, old oil drums, animal drinking water pots and potentially in stagnant and all
water storage containers near human dwellings.
Aedes albopictus mosquito bites during day unlike the malaria mosquito.

Symptoms of Dengue Fever
Symptoms of dengue fever vary with age of the patient such as infant and young children get a measles-like rash with

high fever whereas older children and adults get mild illness, severe headache, sore eye, body pain, vomiting, appetite loss and nausea along fever. In DHF bleeding and shocks also occur.

Dengue Fever Precautions
Avoiding mosquitoes bite is the major precaution against dengue fever. People should take following necessary precautions to combat dengue fever before it gets in body:

• Keep home, environment and surrounding hygiene
• Remove all stagnant water and containers
• Keep all drains well maintained and repair all chokes
• Avoid accumulation of ground water
• Fill up all defective grounds
• Don’t store water
• Avoid unnecessary irrigation
• Cover all containers properly
• Change flower vase water once a week to prevent dengue mosquito breeding there
• Wrap all unused plastic tyres
• Regularly change water in animal drinking containers
• Use mosquito repellents to avoid mosquito bite
• Use mosquito screen to prevent mosquito attack
• Use aerosols and mosquito coils to kill mosquitoes
• Wear long sleeve and fully covered clothes
• Use mosquitoes net around bed while sleeping

Measures To Be Taken During Dengue Fevers
Patient infected by dengue fever must follow these measures:

• Get a blood test by microbiological laboratory
• Take plenty of water and cold fluids
• Bath in cold water and place ice bag over abdomen and head
• Don’t take aspirin
• Get proper medical checkup

Add few drops of lemon in apple juice and then have this fluid as it replaces lost platelets

MORE ABOUT DENGUE FEVER

Dengue fever (pronounced UK: /ˈdɛŋɡeɪ/, US: /ˈdɛŋɡiː/) and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) are acute febrile diseases transmitted by which occur in the tropics, can be life-threatening, and are caused by four closely related virus serotypes of the genus Flavivirus, family Flaviviridae.[1] It is also known as breakbone fever, since it can be extremely painful. Unlike malaria, dengue is just as prevalent in the urban districts of its range as in rural areas. Each serotype is sufficiently different that there is no cross-protection and epidemics caused by multiple serotypes (hyperendemicity) can occur. Dengue is transmitted to humans by the Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti or more rarely the Aedes albopictus mosquito. The mosquitoes that spread dengue usually bite at dusk and dawn but may bite at any time during the day, especially indoors, in shady areas, or when the weather is cloudy.

The WHO says some 2.5 billion people, two fifths of the world’s population, are now at risk from dengue and estimates that there may be 50 million cases of dengue infection worldwide every year. The disease is now endemic in more than 100 countries.

What are the symptoms of Dengue Fever?

After being bitten by the mosquito carrying Dengue Virus (DENV) the symptoms generally take 3 to 15 days to appear.

The symptoms onset can be sudden and generally appear as -

Chills

Headache

Pain upon rolling eyes

Low backache

Pain in limbs

Rapid increase in temperature as high as 104oC

Reddening of eyes

Rash appear on body extremities 

Fever and signs generally drop after 2-4 days after onset and then appear again with the second episode of viral fever.

A more severe form of Dengue is the Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever. This is accompanied by all symptoms of Dengue and the following conditions as well:

Significant damage to blood vessels and lymph

Decrease in the platelet count of the blood

Bleeding from gums, nose, mouth

Bleeding under the skin which looks like bruising

Is Dengue Fever contagious?

Dengue fever is not contagious and cannot be contracted from one person to another person through air, sharing food, clothes etc. It spreads from Dengue Patient - Mosquito Bite-  Healthy Individual pathway.

How is Dengue Fever treated?

Dengue fever is caused by a Virus and cannot be treated with antibiotics. It is treated with symptomatic relief medicines like Antipyretics, pain-relievers and nonsteroidal-anti-inflammatory drugs under Doctors supervision.

Which mosquito is responsible for causing Dengue?

Dengue Virus is contracted from bite of mosquito Aedes aegypti which has previously bitten an infected person.

This mosquito can breeds in rainy season and is commonly found in water (even fresh water) collected in pots, cans, flower beds, dessert coolers etc

What precautions are necessary for Dengue fever?

Dengue spreads through mosquito bites. To stop the transmission from one patient to other individual, it is necessary that a patient of Dengue be kept under mosquito nettings until second bout of fever is over.

Mosquito eradication is necessary indoors as well in neighborhood and spraying of mosquito repellant is necessary.

Arms and legs should be covered with fill sleeves and leggings during an outbreak in the city. Moreover, mosquito repellant sprays and lotions should be used liberally on all exposed parts.

Aedes mosquito is a daytime biter (it may bite anytime of the day) with peak episodes during sunrise and sunset so remaining indoors and using mosquito repellant during this hour is important.

Which tests are done to diagnose and confirm Dengue?

To evaluate Dengue Fever, the doctor checks for signs and symptoms. Besides, this diagnostic test for Dengue Virus and Platelet count is performed through a blood test.

PCR Test: Molecular Test-It can detect Dengue in the initial phases and the results are obtained within a day. It is considered most accurate. Cost of the test from a private center can be up to Rs 5000/- (may vary within city/centers).

ELISA Test: Although, this test is not considered as accurate as PCR but the results are generally obtained within a few hours and may cost up to Rs 2000/- in private centers/- (may vary within city/centers).

Rapid Chromatographic Test: This test is considered least accurate but handy. Results can be obtained within few minutes and it costs within Rs 600/- to Rs 1200/- in private centers /- (may vary within city/centers).

Platelets Count Test: This blood test is essential to find out the concentration of platelets in the blood. Platelet count test is not a confirmatory test but useful if patient has other symptoms of dengue. As there are several viruses which can also cause similar symptoms with reduction in platelets count in blood. Platelet Count Test is used more to monitor the status of the patient if the other tests dengue diagnose and confirm Dengue Fever. The test cost a Rs 100-200/- in private centers but may vary from city to centers.

What are Platelets?

Platelet is a component of blood which prevents bleeding and helps in formation of clot. Normal platelets count in human body is between 1.5 lakh and 4 lakh. In patients with Dengue, it drops to/ between 50,000 to one lakh