| Disease |
DENGUE FEVER |
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| Quotation |
“To terrorize us, our unicellular aggressors can evoke powerful alies. Mosquitoes are their air borne division” |
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| Definition |
Dengue fever is a mild, febrile illness, with an incubation period of 7 -10 days and caused by toga virus, and transmitted by the bite of aedes aegypti mosquito, and the fever lasting 4-10 days. Dengue Haemorrhagic fever (DHF) is a dengue like illness with thrombocytopenia and in Dengue Shock Syndrome (DSS) there is hypovolaemic collapse and haeemo-concentraion due to diffuse capillary leakage of plasma. |
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| Prognosis |
With dengue fever, fatality is rare but there could be prolonged convalescene with lassitude, and depression. With DHF the fatality is only 1% if properly treated and 10% in untreated cases. |
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| General Measures |
Oral fluids and electrolytes.Tepid sponging.Complete bed rest during acute phase, but slow restoration of activity if convalescence is prolonged. |
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| Follow Up |
Not required. |
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| Prevention |
Prevention of mosquito bite by deterrent creams, use of nets.Prevention of mosquito breeding, by the destruction of breeding sites. |
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| Reference From |
www.home.coqui.net/myrna/dengue.htm |
