By Dr Neha Upadhyai
Dengue is a form of viral fever. It is a fast emerging disease which has potential to result in epidemics. Dengue is also called breakbone fever. If not treated promptly and effectively it may even cause death. A healthy human may get infected by dengue virus transmitted by the Aedes mosquito’s bite. Aedes mosquito, commonly known as tiger mosquito, can be identified by a unique pattern of black and white stripes on its body.
Aedes mosquito usually bites in daytime. The mosquito gets the virus after biting the dengue patient. The virus remains in the body of the mosquito during its life. A healthy individual when bitten by the infected mosquito acquires the virus and falls ill. Even the eggs of the infected mosquitoes contain the virus. The Aedes mosquito can lay eggs in any container or place that can hold water, even the axil of a leaf. Even just a spoon of water is sufficient for a mosquito to lay eggs. The eggs can remain viable to the extent of one year without water. These eggs have the potential to initiate a new outbreak of dengue fever.
A healthy individual may contract dengue after being bitten by infected Aedes mosquitoes. It takes only five to six days for the first symptom of fever to appear from the date of the mosquito bite. Many individuals may encounter other Dengue symptoms which include sudden high grade fever, headache, severe muscle pain and weakness. As the severity of the disease increases, the patient may have nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, skin rashes and bleeding from external or internal organs, which may be life threatening. At present, dengue cases are reported from all the States and Union Territories except Ladakh. Approximately 2,33,251 dengue cases and 303 deaths were reported from all over India in 2022.
There is no specific treatment for Dengue, however, supportive and symptomatic timely management is the key to prevent complications. At the individual level wearing full sleeves clothing and socks, which may help in covering the body can prevent mosquito bites. Several other personal protection measures can be used like applying mosquito repellant creams, burning mosquito coils, using vapour liquids and spraying of insecticides. Primary community-level preventive measures include keeping the surroundings clean. It is highly likely that the water clogging in the rainy season is a possible breeding site of mosquitoes. Malathion fogging by machines as done by government authorities, use of larvivorus fishes that eat larva of mosquito or chemicals that kill larvae in areas where water has to be stored are some of the preventive steps against Dengue. Even inside our houses and offices we should ensure that the coolers’ tanks are scrub washed properly after use and are dried up in the sun before storing them. Weekly dry day observation is effective to keep area dengue free. Mindful acts by all responsible citizens are required along with the efforts of government authorities to control the deadly dengue outbreak.
(Dr Neha Upadhyai is Associate Professor,Department of Community Medicine, Shri Guru Ram Rai Institute of Medical & Health Sciences and is In-charge, Rural Health Training Centre of Shri Mahant Indiresh Hospital, Mothrowala.)
