Dengue

By Sounak Chatterjee of Class VIII A

Date :-4/11/2022
Dengue
Introduction
Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease caused by the Dengue
virus. In this case, the dengue virus is transmitted by female
mosquitoes – Aedes aegypti. These dengue mosquitos generally bite
during the daytime and are found everywhere (Both inside and
outside the house). These mosquitos are found to be at the peak of
their activeness at dawn and dusk. According to WHO, an estimated
500,000 people require hospitalization each year. Most cases occur
in tropical areas of the world, with the population in the Indian
subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Mexico, Africa, parts of Central and
South America most susceptible to the disease.

Causes
Dengue is caused due to four viruses, namely - DENV-1, DENV-2,
DENV-3, and DENV-4. The virus enters a mosquito when it bites an
already infected person. And the illness is spread when it bites a
healthy person, and the virus spreads through the person’s
bloodstream.Once a person recovers, he is immune to the specific
virus and not the other three types. The probability of developing
severe Dengue fever, also known as Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever,
increases if you're infected a second, third or fourth time.
Symptoms
Symptoms, which usually begin four to six days after infection and
last for up to 10 days, may include
 High fever
 Severe headaches
 Pain behind the eyes
 Severe joint and muscle pain
 Fatigue
 Nausea
 Vomiting
 Skin rash, which appears two to five days after the onset of
fever
 Mild bleeding (such a nose bleed, bleeding gums, or easy
bruising)

Diagnose
Doctors can diagnose dengue infection with a blood test to check for
the virus or antibodies to it. If you become sick after traveling to a
tropical area, let your doctor know. This will allow your doctor to
evaluate the possibility that your symptoms were caused by a dengue
infection.

Treatment
 Medication: Painkillers like Tylenol or Paracetamol are
generally prescribed to the patients.
 Stay hydrated: This is very important as most of our bodily
fluids are lost during vomiting and high fever.
 Hygiene: Hygiene is of the utmost importance, even more so
when you are not well. The patient can do for a sponge bath if
not a regular bath.
Precautions for Dengue
 Keep your surroundings clean devoid of all the sources of
stagnant water.
 Making use of mosquito repellents and avoiding mosquito
bites.
 Keeping a check on water in vases and flower pots ensuring
it is changed frequently with fresh water.
 Spraying insecticides around residential and commercial
areas on a regular basis, cleaning up gutters and blockages.