MyWellness
Dengue - How to Protect Yourself


Dengue fever is a painful, debilitating mosquito-borne disease caused by any one of four closely related dengue viruses. These viruses are related to the viruses that cause West Nile infection and yellow fever.

Dengue fever is transmitted by the bite of an Aedes mosquito infected with a dengue virus. The mosquito becomes infected when it bites a person with dengue virus in their blood. It can’t be spread directly from one person to another person.

Symptoms

  • Sudden, 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)
Sometimes, symptoms are mild and can be mistaken for those of the flu or another viral infection. Younger children and people who have never had the infection before tend to have milder cases than older children and adults. However, serious problems can develop. These include dengue hemorrhagic fever, a rare complication characterized by high fever, damage to lymph and blood vessels, bleeding from the nose and gums, enlargement of the liver, and failure of the circulatory system. The symptoms may progress to massive bleeding, shock, and death. This is called dengue shock syndrome (DSS). People with weakened immune systems as well as those with a second or subsequent dengue infection are believed to be at greater risk for developing dengue hemorrhagic fever.

Diagnosing Dengue Fever




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 for Dengue Fever


There is no specific medicine to treat dengue infection. If you think you may have dengue fever, you should use pain relievers with acetaminophen and avoid medicines with aspirin, which could worsen bleeding. You should also
rest, drink plenty of fluids, and see your doctor. If you start to feel worse in the first 24 hours after your fever goes down, you should get to a hospital immediately to be checked for complications.



Preventing Dengue Fever


The best way to prevent the disease is to prevent bites by infected mosquitoes, particularly if you are living in or traveling to a tropical area. This involves protecting yourself and making efforts to keep the mosquito population down. To protect yourself:
  • Stay away from heavily populated residential areas, if possible.
  • Use mosquito repellents, even indoors.
  • When outdoors, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants tucked into socks.
  • When indoors, use air conditioning if available.
  • Make sure window and door screens are secure and free of holes. If sleeping areas are not screened or air conditioned, use mosquito nets.
  • If you have symptoms of dengue, speak to your doctor.
To reduce the mosquito population, get rid of places where mosquitoes can breed. These include old tires, cans, or flower pots that collect rain. Regularly change the water in outdoor bird baths and pets' water dishes.

IMPORTANT FACT:


The Philippines steps up the battle against dengue. On February this year, the country hosted the global launch of Dengvaxia, the world’s first vaccine against the deadly virus. It took scientists 20 years to develop Dengvaxia, the world's first anti-dengue vaccine, and the Philippines is the first country where it is commercially available.

Source: http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2016/02/11/


Dengue mosquito vectors


Aedes aegypti


The Aedes aegypti mosquito can transmit the viruses that cause dengue fever. The female mosquito lays eggs in containers with water and plants near the home. It bites people and animals. This species can survive year round in tropical and subtropical climates.

General information

  • Aedes aegypti is a small, dark mosquito with white lyre shaped markings and banded legs. They prefer to bite indoors and primarily bite humans.
  • These mosquitoes can use natural locations or habitats (for example tree holes and plant axils) and artificial containers with water to lay their eggs. They lay eggs during the day in water containing organic material (e.g., decaying leaves, algae, etc.) in containers with wide openings and prefer dark-colored containers located in the shade.
  • About three days after feeding on blood, the mosquito lays her eggs inside a container just above the water line. Eggs are laid over a period of several days, are resistant to desiccation and can survive for periods of six or more months. When rain floods the eggs with water, the larvae hatch.
  • The entire immature or aquatic cycle (i.e., from egg to adult) can occur in as little as 7-8 days. The life span for adult mosquitoes is around three weeks.
  • Aedes aegypti do not remain alive through the winter in the egg stage in colder climates.

Biting behavour


Aedes aegypti bites primarily during the day. This species is most active for approximately two hours after sunrise and several hours before sunset, but it can bite at night in well lit areas. This mosquito can bite people without being noticed because it approaches from behind and bites on the ankles and elbows. Only females bite to obtain blood in order to lay eggs.

Mosquito control

  • Check your yard weekly for water-filled containers. Throw away or recycle water-holding containers that are not needed.
  • If empty containers or large objects must be stored, they should be covered, turned over or placed under a roof that does not allow them to fill with water.
  • Clean and scrub bird baths and pet-watering dishes weekly and dump the water from overflow dishes under potted plants and flower pots. Check that gutters are not holding water and cover rain barrels with tight screening so that mosquitoes cannot enter.
  • Check for hidden bodies of water such as wells, septic tanks, manholes, clogged drains, etc.

Aedes albopictus


Aedes albopictus - also called the Asian tiger mosquito - is a mosquito that can transmit the viruses that cause dengue fever. The female mosquito lays eggs in water holding containers around or further away from homes, treeholes and bamboo internodes. This species can survive year round in tropical and subtropical climates.

General information

  • Aedes albopictus is a small, dark mosquito with a white dorsal stripe and banded legs.
  • These mosquitoes can use natural locations or habitats and artificial containers with water to lay their eggs.
  • About four or five days after feeding on blood, the female mosquito lays her eggs just above the surface of the water. When rain covers the eggs with water, the larvae hatch.
  • Generally larvae feed upon small aquatic organisms, algae and particles of plant and animal material in water-filled containers.
  • The entire immature or aquatic cycle (i.e., from egg to adult) can occur in as little as 7-9 days. The life span for adult mosquitoes is around three weeks.
  • Aedes albopictus mosquitoes remain alive through the winter in the egg stage in temperate climates (areas with four seasons) but are active throughout the year in tropical and subtropical locations.

Biting behavour


Aedes albopictus is a very aggressive daytime biter. Its peak feeding times are during the early morning and late afternoon. This mosquito has a rapid bite that allows it to escape most attempts by people to swat it. It feeds mainly on mammals, including humans, dogs, and cats in the domestic environment and on a variety of wild animals, including squirrels and birds. Because these mosquitoes are produced in nearly any sort of water-filled container, they often become very common and bothersome, even in neighborhoods where there are normally few mosquitoes.

Mosquito control

  • Check your yard weekly for water-filled containers. Throw away or recycle water-holding containers that are not needed.
  • If empty containers or large objects must be stored, they should be covered, turned over or placed under a roof that does not allow them to fill with water.
  • Clean and scrub bird baths and pet-watering dishes weekly and dump the water from overflow dishes under potted plants and flower pots. Check that gutters are not holding water and cover rain barrels with tight screening so that mosquitoes cannot enter.
  • Check for hidden bodies of water such as wells, septic tanks, manholes, clogged drains, etc.

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