Dengue fever (pronounced DEN-gee) is caused by viruses that are spread by mosquito bites. It is a serious illness that begins suddenly and usually follows a benign course with symptoms such as fever, headache, severe muscle and joint pain, exhaustion, lymphadenopathy (swollen glands), and the telltale rash. Dengue is characterized by the presence of what is called the “dengue triad” (headache, fever, and rash). There are other signs of dengue like severe pain behind the eyes, bleeding gums, and redness on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. What is dengue fever?
Dengue fever attacks those with low levels of immunity. Dengue fever can be caused by any of the four types of dengue virus: DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, and DEN-4 (numbers reflect order of discovery and are not related to severity of infection). illness). An individual may be infected with at least two types, if not all four, at different times in their life. However, an attack of a particular type of dengue produces lifelong immunity against that serotype to which the patient had been exposed.
There are other names for dengue fever such as “dandy fever” or “bearded vulture.” The name “broken bones” was derived because dengue victims have contortions due to intense muscle and joint pain. The name “dandy fever” was derived from West Indian slaves who had contracted dengue fever due to their gait and posture.
The most serious viral serotype of dengue fever is dengue hemorrhagic fever. Signs include headache, rash, fever, petechiae (which are small purple or red blisters just under the skin), bleeding gums, blackened stools, and easy bruising. Dengue hemorrhagic fever can be fatal and can develop into the most severe form of dengue, which is dengue shock syndrome.
A person who has been bitten by the Aedes mosquito carrying the dengue virus will show signs and symptoms after 3 to 15 days (although it is more common from 5 to 8 days). The infected person will first experience chills and then headache or pain when moving the eyes and lower back pain. Joint pain and muscle pain in the legs occur during the first few hours. Then the body temperature will rise to about 40 degrees Celsius (or 104 degrees Fahrenheit). Your heart rate will stay low (known as bradycardia) and so will your blood pressure (known as hypotension). There will be redness of the eyes and then there will be a rash or blush that will appear on the face and then go away. The lymph nodes (glands) in the muzzle and neck will swell.
Most people who develop dengue fully recover within two weeks, however there are some who may spend several weeks feeling depressed and/or tired.
The virus is contracted from the bite of a striped mosquito known as Aedes aegypti that has previously been bitten by a person infected with dengue. This mosquito thrives during the rainy or monsoon season, but can easily breed in water-filled potholes, drains, flower pots, old tires, plastic bags, and cans year-round. Just one mosquito bite is enough to inflict the disease.
The dengue virus is not contagious and cannot be spread directly from one individual to another. In order to spread, there must be a path from “person to mosquito to person.”