Dengue fever is a disease that cause by the virus which is transmitting by mosquitoes to humans.A mosquito carrying the virus called arbovirus (stands for artropodborne virus) are responsible for passing it along to humans.
Description.
Dengue fever cannot be passed directly from person to another.This disease needs a "vector" an organism that can carry the virus to a new "host" which is an animal/human that can be infected.The dengue fever arbovirus is endemic at middle East.Far East,Africa and Carribean Islands.The virus can lives naturally and consistently in these locations.The mosquito (vector) that carries the arbovirus from one host to onother is the same type of mosquito that can transmit other disease including the yellow fever.It is called "Aedes egypti" Children below 10 years of age are the common victims of this disease.
Causes and symptoms.
Once the virus is transmitted in human body after the mosquito bites a human, the virus will travels to various glands where it multiplies (lasting about five to eight days) then enter the bloodstream.The presence of the virus will change the blood vessels to swell and leak.The spleen and lymph nodes become enlarged and patches of liver tissue will die.Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) will occurs where the chemicals responsible for clotting are used up and lead to a risk of severe bleeding.Symptoms for initial period of the disease will lasts about two or three days which are suddenly have high fever,chills,headache,eye pain,red eyes,a red flush to the face,lower back pain,extreme weakness and severe aches in the legs and joints.
After the initial period of illness,the fever drops rapidly and the patient sweats heavily and become well about a day.Then the fever occur again but not as much as the first time.Patient's temperature increase, a rash of small red bumps begins from arms and legs and spread to all over the body but rarely affects the face.The characteristic combination of fever,rash and headache are called the "dengue triad".
Once a person has been experienced with dengue fever,the immune system of her/his body will keeps producing cells that prevent reinfection for about a year.However,there is some case where a person which already been infected at one time,recovered and then reinfected with the virus.For such cases, the first infection teaches the immune system to recognize the presence of the arbovirus.Hence, the immune system will ever-reacts when the immune cells encounter the virus during next infections.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis should be suspected at endemic areas whenever high fever lasts about two to a week especially followed with a bleeding tendency.The arbovirus can be isolated from the blood serum and can be tested because the phase in which the virus travels throughout the bloodstream is longer in dengue fever than in other arbovirus infections.Many tests has been carried out to look for reactions between the patient's serum and laboratory to produce antibodies.Antibodies are special cells that recognize the antigens present on invading organisms.
Treatment
Medication is given to lower fever and to decrease the pain of muscle aches and headaches but no treatment is able to shorten the dengue fever.Fluids are given through a needle in a vein to prevent dehydration.If severe hemorrhaging occurs,blood transfusion will be done and when the patient's get shock,oxygen should be given.
Prognosis
The prognosis for uncomplicated dengue fever is very good and almost 100% of patients fully recover.Close monitoring and immediate treatment of complications which provided by excellent medical care centre can reduces the death rate to about 1% where 6-30% of all patients die especially among the youngest patients (under one years old).
Prevention
Prevention of dengue fever by decreasing the mosquito population.Such as eliminate any sources where mosquitoes can breed.Mosquito repellent also recommended especially at endemic.To help break the cycle of transmission, sick patients should be placed in bed nets so that mosquito cannot bite them and become arboviral vectors.
