Rahul Vaidya and his wife Disha Parmar recently caused concern among fans by revealing their battle with dengue. The couple experienced a high fever during Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, which significantly impacted their festive mood. Rahul described the past week as the “worst” of their lives in a social media update. As they focus on recovery, it’s important to note that dengue cases have been on the rise recently. Vigilance and preventive measures are needed to avoid this viral infection.
Here’s all you need to know about dengue, its symptoms, transmission, and preventive measures.
What Is Dengue?
Dengue, often referred to as break-bone fever, is a viral infection spread to humans via the bites of infected female mosquitoes, particularly the Aedes aegypti species. The virus replicates within these mosquitoes and can be transmitted to humans during a bite. Transmission from human to mosquito happens when mosquitoes bite individuals infected with the dengue virus. Although rare, maternal transmission during pregnancy can affect newborns. Dengue can also be transmitted through blood products, organ donations, and transfusions, though these cases are uncommon.
Symptoms
Dengue symptoms typically appear 4-10 days after infection and last for 2-7 days. Common signs include high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint aches, nausea, vomiting, swollen glands, and rash. Most recover within 1-2 weeks, but severe cases, often following fever, may cause abdominal pain, rapid breathing, bleeding, and fatigue. A second dengue infection increases the risk of symptoms, and in some cases, hospitalization is required. Post-recovery fatigue can last for several weeks.
Treatment
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is no specific treatment for dengue, however, one vaccine, QDenga, has been approved and licensed in some countries. It is recommended only for the age group of 6 to 16 years in high transmission settings.
The focus is on managing pain symptoms. Most cases can be treated at home using pain medicines like acetaminophen (paracetamol). Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and aspirin are avoided due to the risk of bleeding.
Prevention And Control
- Wear clothing that covers most of your body to reduce mosquito exposure.
- Use mosquito nets, especially when sleeping during the day, ideally nets sprayed with insect repellent.
- Install window screens and use mosquito repellents containing DEET, Picaridin, or IR3535.
- Preventing mosquito breeding by eliminating standing water and properly managing waste.
- Regularly clean and cover storage containers to avoid mosquito breeding.
- Use insecticides in outdoor water storage containers.
- If infected, rest, stay hydrated, and seek medical attention for severe symptoms.
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