Dengue Fever Information
Dengue Fever
Dengue fever is an infectious disease carried by mosquitoes ( Aedes aegypti). This disease used to be called “break-bone” fever because it sometimes causes severe joint and muscle pain that feels like bones are breaking.
How is dengue contracted?
The virus is contracted from the bite of a striped Aedes aegypti mosquito that has previously bitten an infected person. The mosquito flourishes during rainy seasons but can breed in water-filled flower pots, plastic bags, and cans year-round. One mosquito bite can inflict the disease.
The virus is not contagious and cannot be spread directly from person to person. There must be a person-to-mosquito-to-another-person pathway.
Symptoms
- Symptoms of typical uncomplicated (classic) dengue usually start with fever within 4 to 7 days after you have been bitten by an infected mosquito and include:
- High fever – up to 105ºF but some time only a mild fever
- Severe headache
- Retro-orbital (behind the eye) pain
- Severe joint and muscle pain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Rash
The rash may appear over most of your body 3 to 4 days after the fever begins, and then subsides after 1 to 2 days. You may get a second rash a few days later.
- Symptoms of dengue hemorrhagic fever include all of the symptoms of classic dengue plus
- Marked damage to blood and lymph vessels
- Bleeding from the nose, gums, or under the skin, causing purplish bruises
This form of dengue disease can cause death.
- Symptoms of dengue shock syndrome–the most severe form of dengue disease–include all of the symptoms of classic dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever, plus
- Fluids leaking outside of blood vessels
- Massive bleeding
- Shock (very low blood pressure)
This form of the disease usually occurs in children (sometimes adults) experiencing their second dengue infection. It is sometimes fatal, especially in children and young adults.
Treatment
There is no specific treatment for classic dengue fever, and most people recover within 2 weeks. To help with recovery, health care experts recommend
- Getting plenty of bed rest
- Drinking lots of fluids
- Taking medicine to reduce fever
Aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs should be avoided, Paracetamol may be given for severe head ache and for the joint and muscle pain.
For severe dengue symptoms, including shock and coma, early and aggressive emergency treatment with fluid and electrolyte replacement can be lifesaving.
Prevention
The best way to prevent dengue virus infection is to take special precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.
When outdoors in an area where dengue fever has been found:
- Use a mosquito repellent
- Dress in protective clothing—long-sleeved shirts, long pants, socks, and shoes
As Aedes mosquitoes usually bite during the day, be sure to take precautions, especially during early morning hours before daybreak and in the late afternoon before dark.
Other precautions include:
- Keeping unscreened windows and doors closed
- Keeping window and door screens repaired
- Getting rid of areas where mosquitoes breed, such as standing water in flower pots, containers, birdbaths, discarded tires, etc.
www3.niaid.nih.gov, www.medicinenet.com