Dengue Fever

Dengue fever is one of the diseases transmitted by mosquitoes.
It is a disease with a very short course but with very drastic course sometimes.
There are four serotypes of dengue. Infection with one does not confer immunity
to the other types. Infection with one type however gives lifetime immunity to
the specific serotype. The disease starts with a fever after about a week
from the bite of infected mosquito. The fever is accompanied by constitutional signs
and symptoms not specific for dengue infection. Signs and symptoms includes fever, abdominal pain,vomiting, retro-orbital pain, malaise. The home management of dengue is high intake of fluids like fruit juice or soft drinks. Oral rehydration fluids for diarrhea can still be used. Dengue and diarrhea are similar in the sense that the effective circulating body fluid is reduced though in dengue the fluid is still inside the body though in the extra vascular area. After a few days a patient can develop bleeding in the form of petechiae, or gum bleeding or epistaxis. Sometimes the bleeding is in the internal organs like the gastro-intetinal tract.
Signs and symptoms considered danger signs are persistent vomiting, drowsiness, lethurgy, cyanosis, seizure, shock, absence or weak pulse, prolonged bleeding, severe abdominal pain and loss of consciousness. Patient has to be taken to the hospital if any of the danger signs is observed.

Preventing dengue is through prevention of mosquito bite particularly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. The dwelling area has to be free from stagnant clean water to prevent breeding of mosquito. Mosquito needs water every 3 to 4 days to lays eggs. If there is no available stagnant water in your dwelling area the mosquito will look for one maybe in the immediate vicinity or in the next house. Insecticide
maybe useful but removal of stagnant water is the best. You will even notice that no mosquito bothers you inside your home.