What is Dengue Fever?

Symptoms of the disease are a high fever that begins within 4 to 7 days of being bitten by an infected mosquito, a severe headache, pain behind the eye, severe joint and muscle pain, nausea and vomiting, a rash and also an inability to clot blood properly due to low platelet count from internal bleeding.

Symptoms of the disease are a high fever that begins within 4 to 7 days of being bitten by an infected mosquito, a severe headache, pain behind the eye, severe joint and muscle pain, nausea and vomiting, a rash and also an inability to clot blood properly due to low platelet count from internal bleeding. The rash appears over most of the body approximately 3 or 4 days after the fever began. The rash then subsides after 1 or 2 days. A second rash may appear a few days after the first one disappears.

The diagnosis for dengue fever is made using two blood tests done 2 to 3 weeks apart. When there is an epidemic of dengue fever, there is usually no time for blood tests and physicians will make the diagnosis solely on presenting symptoms.

Recovery from dengue fever is about 2 weeks from onset. The patient is usually told to get plenty of bed rest, drink lots of fluids and take medicine to reduce the fever. The Center for Disease Control has advised individuals to not take aspirin for fever reduction, and that acetaminophen or other over-the-counter pain-reducing medicines are safer for most individuals to take.

Severe forms of dengue involve symptoms of shock, coma, and possibly death. It is imperative that if these symptoms should start to show that the individual be taken to an emergency room immediately. In the emergency room they will use electrolyte replacement therapy to save the individual's life.

Tropical Disease Research The ten diseases are: African trypanosomiasis, chagas disease, dengue fever, leishmaniasis, leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, malaria, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis and also tuberculosis. cholera, leprosy, tuberculosis and yellow fever are not only tropical diseases because they do occur elsewhere than just the tropics, they have a very high incidence in the tropics which is why they are included. There are some occurrences of epidemics such as the Ebola hemorrhagic fever, and the Lassa fever or the Marburg virus which are not considered tropical diseases but do occur in the tropics in epidemic form. Besides Ebola other epidemics have been West Nile disease, Guinea Worm, and Mapucho hemorrhagic fever. The consistent hot climate and large volume of rains creates the environment that breeds tropical disease. Tropical Disease Research

The best way to prevent the spread of dengue fever is to eliminate the risks that mosquitoes pose by using insect repellent that contain DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus. Use protective clothing that includes long sleeves, long pants, socks and shoes. The Aedes mosquitoes usually bite during the day; it is imperative that you are especially careful to avoid mosquitoes during the day. You can also keep all unscreened windows and doors closed, spray screens with insect repellent, use a bedding net while sleeping and to eliminate all areas that mosquitoes can use to breed in such as standing water, containers with standing water such as birdbaths and discarded tires.

The majority of individuals who contract dengue fever recover completely within 2 weeks of onset. Depression or extreme tiredness may set in and last for a few weeks or months after onset of the disease.

Complications from severe cases include hemorrhagic fever, dengue shock syndrome, vascular (blood vessel) damage, liver damage - all of which can be life threatening.

Scientists are trying to develop vaccines for dengue fever. Research is being done to prevent dengue viruses from reproducing inside mosquitoes.

Dengue fever is a global threat. Scientist still do not know how the virus infects the cells and cause the disease.

New research is currently being done to try to understand how the virus interacts with humans.