Surpassing malaria, dengue is the fastest growing mosquito-borne disease in the world
Name
Dengue
Transmission
- A disease caused by any one of four closely related dengue viruses
- The viruses are transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito
- It occasionally develops into a potentially lethal complication called severe dengue which has become a leading cause of hospitalization and death among children and adults in Asian and Latin American countries
- Not transmitted directly from person-to-person
Geography
- Before 1970, only 9 countries had severe dengue epidemics
- Now, it is endemic in more than 100 countries in Africa, the Americas, the Eastern Mediterranean, South-East Asia and the Western Pacific
Incubation Period
3 – 14 days after an infected bite
Signs and Symptoms
- Mild fever
- Headache
- Pain behind the eyes
- Swollen glands
- Rash
- Nausea
- Muscle and joint pains
Severe dengue symptoms include:
- High fever
- Bleeding
- Abdominal pain
- Restlessness
- Persistent vomiting and blood in vomit
- Breathing difficulty or rapid breathing
- Bleeding gums
- Fatigue
Diagnosis
Laboratory testing of blood samples
Treatment
- There is no specific treatment
- Supportive treatment is usually given for severe dengue to maintain a patient’s body fluid volume
- There is one vaccine currently under trial and several others still under development
Prognosis
- Younger children and people infected for the first time have a milder illness than older children and adults
- Most people make a full recovery between 2 weeks and a month of the beginning of their illness
- If untreated, severe dengue leads to circulatory system failure and shock followed by death, but with good supportive treatment, mortality can be reduced from more than 20% to less than 1%
Prevention: What Can You Do?
- Cover or discard standing water in your environment to reduce mosquito breeding
- Prevent mosquito bites
- Use insecticides and mosquito nets
- Wear long, light-colored clothing
Dengue In the News
- Dengue costs the world $8.9 bn annually
- New cases in Singapore rise for second week
- State officials say outbreak appears to be over
Sources:
http://www.who.int/denguecontrol/en/
http://www.cdc.gov/dengue/
