Dengue fever, also known as "break-bone fever," is a tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Mosquitoes bite humans who have the disease and then transmit it when they bit uninfected people. There are two types of the illness, a milder form and the more severe dengue hemorrhagic fever. Dengue hemorrhagic fever can be fatal.
Disease Profile
Dengue is usually transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. It is one of the most common mosquito-transmitted illnesses in the world, affecting millions of people worldwide. Past eradication efforts focused on eliminating the mosquito through mass fumigation efforts and educational programs encouraging people to not keep stagnant water reservoirs, which are natural breeding grounds for the mosquito. Currently, there is no vaccine against this virus.
Geography
Even though it is a tropical disease, there have been cases of dengue in the continental United States, especially in the subtropical areas of the southern states. Worldwide, cases of dengue fever are most prevalent in the tropical regions of the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and Africa.
Symptoms
Dengue fever usually causes high fever, pain in muscles and joints (hence the name "break-bone fever"), nausea and vomiting, and headache (especially felt behind the eyes). Sometimes patients will develop a rash. These symptoms typically last about a week, but recovery periods are often long.
Warning
Some patients go on to develop dengue hemorrhagic fever. The symptoms appear when the fever starts to go away. Patients with dengue hemorrhagic fever become lethargic and less responsive, have difficulty maintaining their blood pressure, and can go into shock. They also have bleeding problems, resulting in hemorrhage from mucous membranes such as the gums and gastrointestinal tract. If untreated, this form of dengue fever can be fatal.
Prevention/Solution
Treatment for the milder form of the disease includes taking plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration, and acetaminophen for pain and fever. Aspirin and other non-steroidal drugs should be avoided, since they can worsen the bleeding associated with the hemorrhagic form of the disease. For dengue hemorrhagic fever, early recognition, aggressive treatment and monitoring in an intensive-care setting is necessary to prevent shock and death.
If you have recently traveled to a place where dengue fever is present and develop any of the symptoms, see a doctor. Many tropical maladies have similar symptoms and only a doctor can determine whether you have dengue. If possible, seek out a physician who specializes in tropical diseases.
Tags: hemorrhagic fever, dengue hemorrhagic, dengue hemorrhagic fever, break-bone fever, cases dengue