Dengue Fever - Causes, Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention

Dengue fever is an infectious disease caused by dengue virus and is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. Symptoms appear in 4-12 days of infective mosquito bite. It can sometimes have lethal complications like hemorrhagic fever. It is more common in tropical areas like Asia.

Causes:

It is caused by Aedes mosquito bite.

Symptoms:

Dengue has the classical triad of symptoms of fever, rash and headache.

Other symptoms include:

• Joint pain.

• Lymphadenopathy.

• Bleeding gums.

• Painful eyes.

• Gastroenteritis (vomiting and diarrhea).

Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) is a complication of dengue fever which has fatal symptoms like:

• Abdominal pain.

• Bleeding (hemorrhage).

• Shock.

• Respiratory symptoms.

• Nosebleeds (epistaxis)

• Pneumonia.

Treatment:

There is no specific treatment for dengue fever. Treatment is symptomatic and more concentration must be on hydration by oral rehydration therapy or intravenous fluids (IV fluids). Aspirin and Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS) are usually contraindicated as they can lead to hemorrhage. Acetaminophen (Paracetamol) can be given in case of severe joint and muscle pain.

Prevention of Dengue:

The best way to prevent dengue is to stop the transmission of virus to mosquitoes. Proper hygiene must be maintained as these mosquitoes usually grow in places like old water containers, jars, etc. One should take proper precaution and use mosquito repellant sprays, coils etc. Limiting exposure to mosquitoes is the only way to prevent dengue.