DENGUE FEVER AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

INTRODUCTION

1.  What is Dengue Fever?
          Dengue fever is an infectious disease transmitted by mosquito and caused by any of the four related dengue viruses. It is called " break bone fever" because it may cause sever joint and musle pain. Dengue is transmitted by female Aedes mosquito. Since no vaccine is available, preventionis the best remedy.
2.   History
            Dengue is one of the many viral diseases transmitted by the mosquito. The disease commonly breaks out in explosive epidemics that spread with amazing rapidity as seen in 2011 in Lahore. The disease has affected all warm parts of the world such as Pakistan, India, Sri Lankh, Bangladesh, Central Africa, Cenral America and China. It is a disease of monkeys transmitted to them by forest dwelling mosquitoes.

mosquitoes got the virus from monkeys and made way to human villages where they started breeding. Hence infected human bening carried the disease to cities where Aedes took over as the vector.

3.     Occurrence and Geographical Distribution

               Dengue was geographically restricted until the middle of 20th century. It was relatively a minor disease. During the 2nd world war, Aedes mosquitoes (eggs) were transported around the world with cargo and thought to have played a crucial role in the spresd of virus. It was first properly documented in 1950's during episdemics in the Philippines and Thailand. It is found persistently in local populations (endemic) in  more than 100 countries in Asia, America and Africa. World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that 50 to 100 million infections occur every year.

4.      SYMPTOMS

             After an infected mosquito's bite incubation period of 4-7 days is required before the symptoms appear in the patient . The symptoms of different types of dengue fever are as follows:

Types of Dengue fever

   These include:

   Asymptomatic or Undifferentiated fever

   Dengue fever (DF) 

   Dengue Haemorrhagic fever (DHF)

   Dengue Shock Syndrome (DSS)

Asymptomatic or Undifferentiated fever

     This is type of fever which represents flu- likes symptoms with mild fever.

Dengue fever

      The temperatue rises above 102F with sever headache, backache, pain at the back of the eyes and joints, with nausea and vomiting.

Dengue Haemorrhagic fever (DHF)

     It occurs in less than 5% of the patient. This is accompanied by extensice leakage of plasma. Very few cases show bleeding from nose, gums and rashes on the skin. The may be a decrease in heart rate, weak pulse and cool extremities. There is a rapid decrease in white blood cells(WBCs) and platelets. In some cases this may lead to DSS.

Dengue Shock Syndrome (DSS)

          Complete blood count showin total number of RBCs, WBCs and platelets per unit volume of blood is the basic deagnostic test.

PATIENT MANAGEMENT

•  As in case of other viral diseases complete rest should be advised to the patient.
• Family doctor should be consulted, though there is no specific medication available.
• Initially paracentamol should be taken to control fever. Drugs like aspirin and brufen.....
• Patients should take plenty of fluid to avoid dehydration.
• Any person who is having fever for 3 or more days should consult a doctor.
• If the patient feel worse (like voniting, severe abdominal pain or bleeding) he or she should be 

         immediately shifted to the hospital for treatment.