Overview of Dengue Fever
Dengue fever is the most common viral fever which is caused by an Aedes Mosquito bite. Dengue Fever is a viral disease. The virus which causes dengue fever is known as Dengue Virus.
Dengue Fever comes under the Zoonotic virus family, which is transmitted in nature without regard to humans and only incidentally infects humans & produces disease in humans.
About Dengue Fever:
Dengue fever is a genus of Flavivirus(mosquito-borne) that is primarily caused by the Aedes mosquitoes. Dengue is primarily transmitted in human beings by the biting of an infected Aedes mosquito which is very common in the USA, Mexico, and other tropical & sub-tropical regions.
Dengue can also be transmitted in humans through blood transfusion, pregnancy, organ transplantation, childbirth (from mother to child), etc.
Every Year, Millions of cases are registered worldwide for Dengue. The most affected areas of Dengue fever are:-
India
USA
Asia:- Southeast Asia & China
Mexico Borders
Africa
South & Central America
Dengue fever is transmitted from one person to another by mosquito bites. Whenever any mosquito bites the dengue-infected person & later bites the healthy person, the Dengue virus is transmitted. Dengue can’t be spread directly from one person to another by eating together or sleeping together.
Types of Dengue Virus:
There are 4 different serotypes of Dengue fever. The symptoms of all four serotypes can be similar and all have one thing in common i.e. they are caused by the mosquito Aedas aegypti.
Dengue 1 (St. Louis Encephalitis):-
Dengue 1 or St. Louis Encephalitis is a subtype of Dengue virus and is spread to humans by infected mosquito bites. SLE is majorly found in the United States, mainly in the Midwest & southern regions. In most cases, the infected person will not experience any symptoms but in a few cases, the virus can lead to brain infection & spinal cord, known as encephalitis.
Dengue 2 (Japanese Encephalitis)
Dengue 2 or Japanese Encephalitis is a sub-type of Dengue Viral disease. It is majorly found in rural & agricultural areas of Asia. Countries like China, India, Srilanka, and Pakistan report millions of cases of Dengue 2 type every year. People affected by Japanese Encephalitis (Dengue 2) do not experience any symptoms other than fever however in some cases it can cause inflammation of the brain.
Mild Symptoms of Dengue 2 (Japanese Encephalitis ) include fever, Headache, seizures, and coma. If not treated on time Japanese Encephalitis can cause permanent brain damage and even can lead to patient death.
Dengue 3 (West Nile Encephalitis)
West Nile Virus or Dengue 3 virus is also transmitted to persons through a mosquito bite. The dengue virus can cause headaches, muscle aches, and fatigue. In severe impact, it can cause inflammation in the spinal cord & brain, known as encephalitis or meningitis.
Dengue 4 (Murray Valley Encephalitis)
Murray Valley Encephalitis or Dengue 4 is rare type of Dengue virus but if not treated can cause a serious impact on the person’s health conditions. In severe cases a person needs to be hospitalized for close monitoring & management of complications.
Dengue Fever Symptoms
Most people do not experience any signs or symptoms when they are affected by Dengue Virus. Dengue fever symptoms usually begin after 3-4 days when the mosquito bites, due to which it is mistaken for other illnesses.
Once infected, Dengue results in high fever & sudden decrease in blood platelets. If not diagnosed on time or treated, the platelets become so low that Dengue becomes life-threatening.
Most common symptoms of Dengue are:
- Severe Headache
- Body Pain, Muscle Pain, Stiffness in Muscles
- Weakness
- Nausea & Vomiting
- Rashes over the skin – appear mainly after three to four days once the person is infected.
- Sudden high fever
Sometimes, Dengue symptoms are mild & they are mistakenly considered for other disease symptoms like flu or any other viral infection.
Even after the person has recovered from a fever, some of the symptoms last for 4-5 days like
- Weakness
- Joint pain & body pain
- Feeling thirsty all the time
- Bleeding nose
- Bleeding gums
- Poor vision
- Pain behind the eyes
- Headache due to weakness
Even after the person recovered from Dengue, they may feel weakness for several days & it can take up few weeks to get back to normal.
Stages of Dengue fever:
There are three stages of the Dengue Virus. It is not mandatory that all individuals experience all three stages. The stages of dengue fever are as follows:-
Febrile Phase: – This is the initial stage of the dengue virus and the patient experience high fever, severe headache, weakness, and pain in muscles & joints.
The fever can rise up to 40.5 degree C(105 degree F).
This stage is also referred to as the “acute” or “viremic” phase because the virus load replicates itself actively in the bloodstream.
Warning Signs for Serious Dengue
If not diagnosed on time, the patient can progress towards serious dengue in the late febrile phase. Patients start experiencing defervescence, vomiting, difficulty in breathing, abdominal pain, organ failure like liver enlargement, etc.
- Convalescent Phase: – It is the second stage of dengue fever and is often referred to as a critical stage. In this stage, the patient may develop severe dengue due to a drop in platelet count. In bloodstreams, platelets start decreasing at a much faster rate which can become life-threatening.
Patients may experience dullness, weakness, difficulty in breathing, vomiting, and bleeding from the skin or gums. In rare cases, internal bleeding also happens inside the body. - Recovery Phase: – Once the patient’s conditions are stabilized in the early two phases, they may enter the recovery phase. During this phase their health conditions start improving, and dengue symptoms start to subside. However, they still feel weakness, muscular or joint pain for several weeks even after they are fully recovered.
Dengue Fever in Children
All age group of children can get infected by the Dengue Virus, especially children below the age of 15 who have high chance to develop severe dengue fever.
There are high chance of getting infected again to those children who previously suffered from the Dengue virus.
Symptoms in children are the same as in adults like high fever, severe headache, muscle, and joint discomfort, rashes over the skin, nausea and vomiting.
Dengue virus in children can be severe and can add several complications like bleeding, organ failure, shock, etc. Children need immediate medical attention when any of the symptoms show up. They might need to get admitted to the hospital for proper care, maintenance & consultation.
Parents should constantly watch for any evidence of complications in their child & report immediately to healthcare advisor if they notice any because supportive care is the mainstay of treatment for dengue fever in children
Also, Dehydration and malnutrition add to the risk of complications in children with dengue fever, so it’s crucial to make sure they get enough to eat and drink.
To prevent Dengue in children, make sure you do not have collected water in your house or surroundings where the mosquito can breed, keep your surroundings clean and tidy, apply insect repellent, wearing protective clothes are some of the ways to prevent dengue illness in kids.
Dengue fever vaccines are available in some regions and may be advised for kids who are at a greater risk of contracting the disease.
The most effective way to prevent the Dengue virus is to prevent your children from mosquito bites.
How to Diagnose Dengue Fever?
Dengue fever cannot be diagnosed at home like other fevers because symptoms of dengue fever match with other diseases and often mistakenly correct treatment is given to persons.
Dengue Fever can be diagnosed by health professionals/Doctors which include a combination of clinical assessment, Laboratory tests, and through symptoms. Below are the methods which are used for diagnosing dengue fever:-
- Clinical Assessment: – Your health care expert will examine your symptoms like rashes, fever, headache, joint pain, etc. He will check your medical history to check out if you are previously affected by dengue fever. After examining, to rule out the possibility or for confirmation your health care expert will advise for Blood Tests.
- Blood Tests: – There are several laboratory tests used to confirm the dengue fever in blood. The most common blood test for dengue fever is the NS1 antigen test ( which is used to determine the dengue virus antigen in the blood).
Another most common blood test used for diagnosing the dengue virus is IgM and IgS antibody tests (this test finds out the number of antibodies produced in the human body in response to the dengue virus). Once the antibodies start increasing against the dengue virus recovery process speeds up.
- Complete Blood Count (CBC) Test: – When the person is infected by the dengue virus, a decrease in blood cells i.e., platelets are very common. Platelets start decreasing rapidly in the human body when the dengue virus load is high. CBC test is done to determine the level of different blood cells, such as platelets.
- Medical Imaging: – In a few cases, when the Dengue virus load is high and not treated on time it can lead to organ failures. In those cases, it is essential to do medical imaging such as ultrasound, and CT-SCAN to check the conditions of internal organs, mainly the liver, spleen, and lymph nodes.
How to prevent yourself from Dengue Fever?
Prevention of dengue fever requires a combination of personal & community measures to control the mosquito population. Countermeasures to reduce mosquito bites. Here are some of the measures to control the dengue virus: –
Vaccine for Dengue Virus
In several areas where dengue fever is a common disease, Dengvaxia is an approved vaccine for the dengue virus. The vaccine can be given to the age group of 9 to 45 who have encountered dengue fever at once. A total 3 number of doses are given to individuals in a span of 3 months.
Note: – People who do not affect by Dengue in past and still receiving vacancies increase the risk of dengue fever.
Reduce or Eliminate the Mosquito Breeding Sites: – Aedes Mosquito who are responsible for transmitting the dengue virus typically breed in standing water. It is essential to check water bags in your surroundings and shut down any standing water source near you.
Keep your water storage tank covered & close. Regularly clean your water storage tanks, flower pots, fish aquariums, and barrels to prevent mosquito breeding.
Apply Insect Repellent: – Several areas are more prone to dengue viruses due to geographical or climatic conditions. Areas that receive heavy rainfall or are near to seashore increase the chances of water logging and mosquitos can breed over there.
In order to prevent yourself, apply insect repellents such as DEET, picaridin or IR3535 to exposed skin. Spray the insect repellent around your surroundings or open places at home weekly.
Wearing Protective Cloths: – Cover your exposed body with long clothes to avoid mosquito bites such as socks, long pants, full sleeve shirts, etc.. Wear light colour cloths as mosquitos are more attracted to dark color cloths.
Use bed nets while sleeping. Take sleep in air-conditioned rooms or with screened windows. Cover your bed with bed nets particularly in the daytime because Aedes Mosquitos are more active during day time.
Promote Community cleanliness by educating your children about cleanliness programs and participate in cleanliness programs along with local bodies to keep your home & surroundings clean.
Dengue Fever Treatment?
Till today, there is no specific medicine to treat dengue infection. If you are infected by dengue infection take immediate medical assistance. Use pain relievers medicines such as acetaminophen.
Do not take medicines with aspirin as it could cause bleeding.
Take proper rests, drink plenty of water, and go for CBC tests to get an insight into platelet count. If your condition is worse rush immediately to the hospital because it requires complete monitoring of your health conditions to reduce the risk of stroke, organ failure, and liver damage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What are the 3 stages of dengue fever?
Ans. The three stages of dengue fever are:-
a. Febrile Phase ( Initial stage of dengue virus)
b. Critical Phase (often referred to as Serious Dengue)
c. Recovery Phase
Q2. Can dengue fever be cured?
Ans. There is no specific vaccine to treat dengue, but early detection of dengue virus can help in treating the dengue virus more efficiently and bring you back to normal. Dengue fever can be life-threatening if not treated on time.
Q3. What are the symptoms/warning signs of dengue?
Ans. There are several symptoms/warning signs for dengue:-
- Fever
- Rashes
- Abdominal Pain
- Restlessness
- Muscle & Joint pain
- Mucosal bleeding, nausea
- Vomiting
- Internal bleeding
- Liver enlargement
- Decrease in Platelets counts
Q4. How long does the dengue fever lasts?
Ans. Dengue fever can last up to 3 to 7 days. In dengue fever, 3rd to 5th days are crucial days because the virus load is very high during those days.
Most people start recovering after 6 to 7 days if proper treatment is availed.
Q5.What is the best treatment for dengue fever?
Ans. The best treatment for dengue is to detect it in early stages, take proper rest, and drink plenty of fluids.
Seek medical advice & treatment to avoid the Critical phase of dengue.
Q6. Is dengue life-threatening?
Ans. Yes, dengue is life-threatening if not treated properly. It can lead to organ failure, strokes, decrease in plasma & blood platelets which can lead to person death.
Q7. 10 warning signs of dengue fevers?
Ans.
- High fever
- Nausea
- Pain in muscles & joints
- Vomiting
- Shortness in breathing
- Abdominal pain
- Pain behind eyes
- Rashes on skin
- Blood in urine, stools, or vomit
- Fatigue
Q8. Best fruits to eat in dengue?
Ans. Fruits with an increase in fluids & contains iron are best to eat in dengue fever
- Pomegranate – It has high iron content
- Oranges
- Malta
- Kiwi
- Dragon Fruit
- Coconut Water
- Banana
- Grapes
Q9. What are the dengue fever medications/dengue fever vaccines?
Ans. No specific medicine has been developed so far to treat dengue fever. Treatment for dengue fever is to stay hydrated,
drink plenty of fluids, and avoid pain painkillers, and aspirins because they have anticoagulant properties.
Q10. When do platelets start dropping in dengue?
Ans. Platelets start falling within 3 days of infection. During a high load of dengue virus platelets starts decreasing at a much faster rate.
To increase platelets person should drink more fluids, and eat iron-rich & fluid-rich fruits like pomegranate, kiwi, dragon fruit, etc.
Q11. Can I take bath with dengue fever?
Ans. Hygiene is very important in any kind of infection or without infection. Keep your surroundings clean & tidy.
Take a sponge bath because a regular bath can lead to shivering etc.
Q12. How dengue is transmitted from person to person?
Ans. Mainly dengue is transmitted from one person to another through mosquito bites.
Mosquito Aedes Aegypri bites are responsible of virus to healthy person from infected person.