DENGUE A MAJORGLOBAL HEALTH PROBLEM
Dengue in recent years has become a major international public health concern.
Dengue is found in tropical and sub-tropical regions around the world,
predominantly in urban and semi-urban areas.
Dengue Haemorrhagic fever (DHF) a potentially lethal complication was first
recognized in the 1950s during the dengue epidemics in the Philippines and
Thailand, but today DHF affects most Asian countries and has become a leading
cause of hospitalization and death among children.
3.
The globalprevalence of dengue has grown dramatically in recent
decades. The disease is now endemic in more than 100 countries in
Africa, the Americas, the Eastern Mediterranean, South-east
Asia and the Western Pacific.
South-east Asia and the Western Pacific are most seriously affected.
Before 1970 only nine countries had experienced DHF epidemics, a
number that had increased more than four-fold by 1995.
Some 2500 million people - two fifths of the world's population - are
now at risk from dengue. WHO currently estimates there may be
50 million cases of dengue infection worldwide every year.
4.
In 2001alone, there were more than 609000 reported cases
of dengue in the Americas, of which 15000 cases were
Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever. This is greater than double
the number of dengue cases which were recorded in the
same region in 1995.
Not only is the number of cases increasing as the disease is
spreading to new areas, but explosive outbreaks are
occurring.
In 2001, Brazil reported over 390000 cases including more
than 670 cases of DHF.
An estimated500,000 cases of DHF require hospitalization each
year, of whom a very large proportion are children. At least 2.5% of
cases die, although case fatality could be twice as high.
Without proper treatment, DHF case fatality rates can exceed 20%.
With modern intensive supportive therapy, such rates can be reduced
to less than 1%.
The spread of dengue is attributed to expanding geographic
distribution of the four dengue viruses and of their mosquito vectors,
the most important of which is the predominantly urban species
Aedes aegypti.
A rapid rise in urban populations is bringing greater numbers of
people into contact with this vector, especially in areas that are
favourable for mosquito breeding, e.g. where household water
storage is common and where solid waste disposal services are
inadequate
8.
In Asiaand Amrecas the Aedes aegypti breeds primarily in
man-made containers like:
Earthenware jars,
Metal drums and
Concrete cisterns used for domestic water storage.
Discarded plastic food containers
Used automobile tires and other items that collect rainwater.
In Africa it also breeds extensively in natural habitats such
as tree holes and leaf axils.
9.
In recentyears, Aedes albopictus, a secondary dengue
vector in Asia, has become established in the United States,
several Latin American and Caribbean countries, in parts of
Europe.
The rapid geographic spread of this species has been largely
attributed to the international trade in used tyres.
11.
Dengue Syndrome
Denguefever and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF)
are viral diseases transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes,
usually Aedes aegypti.
There are four types of this virus (serotypes 1 to 4)
and are closely related to one another.
Recovery from infection by one provides lifelong
immunity against that serotype but confers only
partial and transient protection against subsequent
infection by the other three.
There is good evidence that sequential infection
increases the risk of more serious disease resulting in
DHF.
12.
Dengue virusesare capable of infecting humans and causing
disease. These infections may be symptomatic, or may lead to:
1. “Classical” dengue fever
2. Dengue Haemorrhagic fever without shock
3. Dengue Haemorrhagic fever with shock
CLASSICAL DENGUE FEVER
Reservoir both man and mosquito
The mosquito becomes infective by feeding on the patient from the
day before onset to the 5th
day of illness.
After an extrinsic incubation period of 8-10 days the mosquito
becomes infective and is able to transmit infection.
The illness is characterized by an incubation period of 3-10 days.
1. Onset is sudden with chills and high fever. Temperature rises
quickly as high as 104° F (40° C), with relative bradycardia and
hypotension.
15.
2. Reddened eyes
3.Intense muscles and joint pains
4. A flushing or pale pink rash comes over the face and then
disappears. The glands (lymph nodes) in the neck and groin are
often swollen
5. Fever lasts 2-4 days rarely more than 7 days.
6. Recovery is complete
7. Case fatality is very low
16.
Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever
Denguehemorrhagic fever is a more severe form of the viral illness.
Caused by more than one dengue viruses. It is due to double
infection with dengue virus. The first infection sensitizes the patient
and the second appears to produce immunological catastrophe.
Manifestations include:
Headache, high fever (continuous and lasting 2-7 days)
Rash, and evidence of hemorrhage in the body (Petechiae)
Bleeding in the nose or gums,
Black stools, or easy bruising are all possible signs of hemorrhage.
This form of dengue fever can be life-threatening or even fatal.
THERE ISNO DRUG FOR DENGUE.
To prevent dengue fever, you must prevent the breeding
of its carrier, the Aedes mosquitoes.
Treatment
Because dengue is caused by a virus, there is no specific
medicine or antibiotic to treat it.
For typical dengue, the treatment is purely concerned with
relief of the symptoms (symptomatic).
Rest and fluid intake for adequate hydration is important.
19.
Immunization
Vaccine developmentfor dengue and DHF is difficult
because any of four different viruses may cause disease.
Nonetheless, progress is being made in the development of
vaccines that may protect against all four dengue viruses.
Such products may become available for public health use
within several years.
21.
The mosquitoflourishes during rainy seasons but can
breed in water-filled flower pots, plastic bags, and cans
year-round.
One mosquito bite can inflict the disease.
Under optimal conditions, the egg of an Aedes mosquito
can hatch into a larva in less than a day.
The larva then takes about four days to develop in a
pupa, from which an adult mosquito will emerge after
two days.
Three days after the mosquito has bitten a person and
taken in blood, it will lay eggs, and the cycle begins
again.
22.
Facts about themosquito
Only the female aedes mosquito bites as it needs the
protein in blood to develop its eggs.
The mosquito becomes infective approximately 7
days after it has bitten a person carrying the virus.
This is the extrinsic incubation period, during
which time the virus replicates in the mosquito and
reaches the salivary glands.
23.
Peak bitingis at dawn and dusk.
The average lifespan of an Aedes mosquito in Nature is 2
weeks.
The mosquito can lay eggs about 3 times in its lifetime, and
about 100 eggs are produced each time.
The eggs can lie dormant in dry conditions for up to about 9
months, after which they can hatch if exposed to favourable
conditions, i.e. water and food.
Prevention
The applicationof appropriate insecticides to larval habitats.
During outbreaks, emergency control measures may also
include the application of insecticides as:
space sprays to kill adult mosquitoes using portable or
truck-mounted machines or even aircraft.
However, the killing effect is only transient, variable in its
effectiveness because the aerosol droplets may not penetrate
indoors to microhabitats where adult mosquitoes are hiding.
37.
Dengue Prevention Checklist
To prevent the spread of dengue fever, we must first prevent
the breeding of its vector, the Aedes mosquitoes.
The Aedes mosquito is easily identifiable by its distinctive
black and white stripes on their body. It prefers to breed in
clean, stagnant water easily found in our homes.
We can get rid of the Aedes mosquito by frequently
checking and removing stagnant water in our premises.
Remove water inplant pot plates. Clean and
scrub the plate thoroughly to remove mosquito
eggs. Avoid the use of plant pot plates, if
possible.
40.
Loosen soil frompotted plants to prevent the
accumulation of stagnant water on the surface of the
hardened soil.
Do not block the flow of water in scupper drains.
41.
Cover rarelyused gully traps. Replace the gully trap
with non-perforated ones and install anti-mosquito
valves.
43.
No trayor receptacles should be placed beneath and or/ on
top of any air-conditioning unit so as not to create a condition
favourable for mosquito breeding.
Every other day
Change water in flower vases. Clean and scrub the inner sides
of vases. Wash roots of flowers and plants thoroughly as
mosquito eggs can stick to them easily.
44.
Once a week
Clear fallen leaves and stagnant water in your scupper drains
and garden.
These leaves could collect water or cause blockages to the
drains, thus resulting in the build-up of stagnant water.
Clear any stagnant water in your air cooler unit.
Once a month
Add prescribed amounts of sand granular insecticide into
vases, gully traps and roof gutters, even if they are dry.