Fighting dengue: tips to help you

 What is Dengue fever?
Dengue fever (pronounced Den-gay) is a viral infection caused by the female mosquito (Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus).
Dengue fever is not a new disease. It was discovered several hundred years ago. In recent years, dengue fever has become a major international public health concern.

How is Dengue fever transmitted?
Dengue viruses are transmitted to humans (host) through the bites of the female striped Aedes aegypti mosquito (vector).
This variety of mosquito breeds easily during the rainy seasons but can flourish in water that is stored in plastic bags, cans, flowerpots, old tyres and other rubbish.

The signs and symptoms of Dengue fever are as follows:
- High fever (104 F, 40°C)
- Chills- Headache- Red eyes, pain in the eyes- Enlarged lymph nodes
- Deep muscle and joint pains (during first hours of illness)- Loss of appetite
- Nausea and vomiting- Low blood pressure and heart rate
- Extreme fatigue
Basically, dengue commences with high fever and other signs as listed above for 2 to 4 days. Then, the temperature drops rapidly and intense sweating takes place.
After about a day with normal temperature and a feeling of well-being, the temperature rises abruptly again. Rashes (small red bumps) show up on the arms, legs and the entire body simultaneously along with fever. However, rashes rarely occur on the face.
Although the patient may feel exhausted for several weeks, most cases of dengue take approximately one week to recover. Once a person recovers from dengue, he or she will have antibodies in their bloodstream which will prevent them from having a relapse for about a year.

Treatment
There is no specific treatment to shorten the course of dengue fever. Medications are given to alleviate the signs and symptoms.
Aspirin should not be given to patients. It will cause severe bleeding. Hence, it is advisable to take paracetamol to relieve muscle and joint aches, fever and headache.
The patient may be required to be sponged down with water at room temperature using a wet, squeezed out towel for about 20 minutes at a time. This will help to help lower the high temperature. Ice water should not be used for this purpose.
However, bed rest is essential to a speedy recovery and the patient should consume plenty of water which will help to alleviate the illness.

Prevention and Control
At present, the only method of preventing and controlling dengue fever is to eradicate the mosquito population.
• Cover all containers to prevent egg laying female mosquitoes access to it.
• Eliminate any sources that may collect water such as tins, bottles, plastic food containers and old tyres. Mosquitoes breed easily in any source of standing water.
• Always clean and check drains to ensure they are not blocked especially during the rainy season.
In addition to the above, there are a number of factors to help prevent the mosquito being attracted to human prey.
• Avoid wearing dark and tight clothing because mosquitoes are attracted to dark colours. Wear loose, white and long clothes, which cover the whole body. Mosquitoes find it difficult to bite through loose clothes than tight fitting clothes.
• Environmental conditions. Mosquitoes are unlikely to bite in an air-conditioned room and under strong fans. Mosquito coils are also useful to help prevent mosquitoes from entering the room.
• Apply mosquito repellants.
• Avoid reduce outdoor activities during morning and late afternoon because Aedes mosquitoes are daytime feeders.
Source: Expat.com

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