Dandy fever is spreading fast around the world

Dengue is a disease caused by ‘striped Aedes aegypti’ mosquito bite, which already had bitten an infected person. A family of viruses is transferred with the mosquito bite which can give headache, 104 F fever, severe joint & muscle pain, swollen lymph nodes, exhaustion & rash. Other symptoms can be bleeding gums, severe pain behind eyes,and  palms & soles become red.

About half of the world is at risk of dengue virus which hits the cities in tropical and subtropical regions. The WHO estimates that, there are 60 to 100 million dengue cases worldwide and more than 20,000 people die annually,and  particularly children. It spreads faster than West Nile virus or malaria as per the reports. Recently, outbreaks occurred in:  

·         The Caribbean

·         Puerto Rico

·         The U.S. Virgin Islands

·         Cuba,

·         Central America

·         Tahiti

·         Singapore

·         Philippines

·         Southeast Asia

·         The West Indies

·         India

Dengue can affect anybody but is more severe on people with weak immunity because it is due to 1 of 5 serotypes dengue viruses. So there is always a possibility to get fever multiple times. Once dengue hits, it will give immunity to the particular serotype virus, which initially entered patient’s body.  The patient experiences intense muscle, bone and joint pain, hence it is called breakbone fever or dandy fever. Petechiae, blood from the nose /gums, easy bruising and black stools are all the possible signs of bleeding. It is a life threatening sign which may lead to dangerous form of illness which is called ‘dengue shock syndrome’. The population of mosquito grow during rainy season and it breeds in dirty stagnant water, water filled pots, plastic cans or bags. If an infected person touches or spits in the water, it becomes home for the virus. The virus spreads from a person’s contact, so the cycle evolves as ‘virus-mosquito-human’.

With the typical symptoms, doctor is able to diagnose dengue fever but sometimes it may get overlapped with other viral illnesses like West Nile virus & chikungunya fever.

A test called as DENV Detect IgM Capture ELISA is approved by the FDA in 2011 to diagnose dengue fever. It gives precise result when a patient is closely associated with West Nile virus.

As dengue is caused due to virus, so doctor will prescribe pain relievers such as aspirin & nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. There are dengue fever vaccine available.There are no specific medicines or antibiotics for dengue. Keeping body hydrated and taking rest is very important. Tylenol & codeine is given for headache and joint pain.

Dengue hemorrhagic fever affect children under 10 years of age. It causes abdominal pain, bleeding, shock or circulatory collapse. It starts with high fever and severe headache leading to other symptoms of dengue fever like sore throat, vomiting, abdominal pain, cough and nausea. 1 year old babies are at risk of dying from Dengue hemorrhagic fever.

With dengue spreading its wings, the majority of countries are trying to control outbreaks, more resources are being allocated for prevention and control of dengue. Various measures like environmental management & vector control using insecticides are implemented for dengue prevention. Many campaigns have started for cleanliness, and dengue & malaria prevention.