A sharp rise in mosquito transmitted
dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever cases in the past
few weeks, with dozens of people in hospitals..
How can someone get dengue fever?
Dengue fever occurs following the bite of an infected
mosquito Aedes aegypti.The mosquito gets the Dengue
virus after biting a human being infected with dengue
virus.
When should I suspect Dengue?
Dengue should be suspected when you have sudden
onset of high grade fever 103-105 degrees F, accompanied
with severe headache (mostly in the forehead), pain behind
the eyes, body aches and pains, rash on the skin and nausea
or vomiting. The fever lasts for 5-7 days.
There
are several types of fever, when shall dengue be suspected?
The characteristics of dengue that makes it different
from other causes of fever are the pain behind the eyes,
severe pains in the muscles, severe joint pains (break
-bone fever), and skin rashes . These features make the
diagnosis of suspected Dengue likely.
What is the difference between
suspected and probable case of dengue?
If a patient suspected to be having dengue has
reduced platelets or an increase in blood haematocrit,
then the patient has probable dengue. These additional
findings make dengue more likely. (Platelets are cells
in blood that help to stop bleeding. Haematocrit indicates
the thickness of blood).
How can I protect myself from
mosquito bites to prevent dengue fever?
There is no way to tell if a mosquito is carrying the
dengue virus .
Therefore, people must protect themselves from all mosquito
bites.
Dengue mosquitoes bite during the daytime. Highest
biting intensity is about 2 hours after sunrise and before
sunset.
Wear full sleeves clothes and long dresses to cover as
much of your body as possible.
Use repellents
Use mosquito coils and electric vapour mats during the daytime also to prevent dengue. Use mosquito nets to protect children, old people and others who may rest during the day. The effectiveness of these nets can be improved by treating them with permethrin (pyrethroid insecticide) .
