What are the dengue prevention methods?

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Dengue is a mosquito-transmitted virus ( flavivirus) and the leading cause of arthropod-borne (infections caused by a group of viruses spread to people by the bite of infected insects such as mosquitoes and ticks) viral disease in the world. Aedes mosquitoes (a group of mosquitoes originally found in tropical and subtropical zones) transmit the virus and are common in tropical and subtropical parts of the world.

Dengue is characterized by the severity of muscle spasms and joint pain, dandy or dengue fever (tropical fever), or seven-day fever because of the usual duration of symptoms. Most cases are asymptomatic, rarely severe illness and death may occur.

The incidence of dengue has increased dramatically over the past few decades. The infection is now endemic in some parts of the world. A few people who were previously infected with one subspecies of the dengue virus develop severe capillary permeability and bleeding after being infected with another subspecies of the virus which is known as dengue hemorrhagic fever.

During the fever phase, a sudden high-grade fever of approximately 104 degrees Fahrenheit occurs that lasts two to seven days. Biphasic fever is seen in some cases, particularly in patients with severe dengue, described as a fever that remains at least for one day, and the next fever spike starts, which lasts at least for one more day. Associated symptoms in severe dengue include facial flushing, skin bleeding rashes, muscle pain, joint pains, headache, sore throat, eye inflammation, lack of appetite, nausea, and vomiting.

The only way to avoid contracting dengue is to prevent mosquito bites and not travel to endemic areas.

Here are some of the preventative measures you can follow:

Personal Preventive Measures: Bed nets while in bed even in the daytime, Insecticide-treated materials (ITMs) like window curtains, application of mosquito repellent creams (containing DEET or N, N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide, IR3535 or insect repellent 3535, or Icaridin), coils, developing the habit of wearing full sleeve dresses help prevent mosquito bite.

The other miscellaneous preventive measures include:

1. Cleaning fish ponds.

2. Using small freshwater fish, which consume mosquito embryos, has been beneficial.

3. Use of chemical pesticides like sprays or aerosols. Some commonly used insecticides are organophosphorus compounds (Fenitrothion, Malathion) and pyrethroids (Bioresmethrin, Cypermethrin).

4. Environmental measures include locating breeding sites and eliminating pests through appropriate roofing and sunshade management, as well as properly covering stored water in buckets, pots, and other containers.

5. Health education: Sensitization can be done through audiovisual media or mass awareness campaigns.

6. Community Participation: It is essential to sensitize the communities for their active participation in dengue control programs.

7. Vaccination: The use of CYD-TDV, or chimeric yellow fever dengue-tetravalent dengue vaccine, a live recombinant tetravalent dengue vaccine, the first to be licensed, is approved for endemic areas in 20 countries.

I hope this information will help you.

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