Dengue cases are on a rise in India. The number of cases being reported is higher than last year. This is a cause of worry. Dengue is a tropical mosquito born disease caused by dengue virus. It spread by the female mosquito species Aedes Genus .
Around 400million infections happens around the world every year. About a 100 million tune into illness.
The major areas of the world where dengue is common are:
- South East Asia
- India subcontinent
- Southern china
- Pacific islands
- Caribbean islands
- Mexico
- Africa
What are the most common symptoms of dengue fever?
- High Grade fever
- Vomiting
- Headache
- Joint pains
- Nausea
- Skin rashes which may appear on 6th or 7th day
At times the symptoms can be mild and it can be confused with seasonal flu etc or corona infection.
How is it diagnosed?
Dengue can be diagnosed with the help of a blood test. Low white blood count, low platelets counts are common observations in a dengue infection.
What is the treatment of this infection?
Dengue has no specific treatment. Patient is usually told to take lots of fluids and pain can be relieved with the help of Acetaminophen. Aspirin should be avoided as it can cause bleeding. If the fever does not go down or you have a lot of weakness you should report to the doctor immediately.
Possible prevention:
- Cover yourself properly; wear full sleeves shirts and full pants.
- Use mosquito repellent even if you are indoors.
- Use air conditioning when inside
- Close the doors and windows well in dusk and dawn
- If you develop any symptoms , report to the doctor immediately
Dengue Virus breeds even in clean water, so try to get rid of the breeding grounds. Empty cans, flower pots, old tyres etc that collect rain water .
