Dengue Fever – Symptoms and Prevention

Dengue fever is a type of flu which mainly spreads because of mosquito bites. The dengue family virus is mainly responsible for causing dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever. Severe joint pain accompanies this type of fever because of which it is also called ‘Break bone fever’. You can get dengue diagnosed through a blood test. The infected person can be the source for spreading the infection.

Dengue hemorrhagic fever when left untreated can become severe. People who are already infected once can get contract dengue hemorrhagic fever if infected again. Being an infectious disease, Dengue can become highly infectious. Deficiency in public health systems, lack of effective mosquito control and rampant use of plastic items by acting as breeding areas of mosquitoes can lead to this disease.

The bite of the ‘Ades’ Mosquito causes this disease. Once the infected person is bitten by the mosquito, it transmits the infection when it bites an uninfected person causing the spread of this disease. These mosquitoes mostly spread the infection during day time as they are active and breed in water stores, damaged tyres, flower pots etc.

Dengue is accompanied by high fever along with severe joint pain, head ache, nausea, lack of appetite and rashes. The fever may last for up to 10 days and it can take at least six weeks for complete recovery. When a person suffers from the complicated dengue hemorrhagic fever, his/her blood vessels can leak and the patient suffers from gums, nose or mouth bleeding. This is most commonly noticed in young adults and children and requires immediate medical attention.

The affected person is normally put on Paracetamol to control the fever. He is also asked to consume a lot of fluids. The infected person must be isolated from other family members to prevent the spread of the infection. Though there is no vaccine to treat this epidemic, you can undertake some preventive measures to control the same such as use of mosquito repellents, keeping yourself well covered, drinking clean or boiled water, preventing water storage around your house etc.