Dengue hemorrhagic fever is an acute disease caused by one of the 4 serotypes of dengue virus, characterized by bleeding manifestations and tendentious can cause shock and death.
Approximately 2.5 billion people, or two-fifths of the world’s population, are now at risk from dengue.The disease is now endemic in over 100 countries.Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a leading cause of serious illness and death among children in some Asian countries.
In 2007, there were over 890,000 reported cases of dengue in the Americas, of which 26,000 cases were DHF.Dengue infection rates among people who have not been previously exposed to the virus are commonly 40% to 50% during epidemics, but may sometimes reach 80% to 90%.Approximately half-a-million people with DHF are hospitalized each year, of whom many are children. About 2.5% of these patients die.DHF fatality reads may exceed 20% if untreated. If there is access to medical care with health care professionals trained in treating DHF, the death rate may be less than 1%.
There are four Dengue viruses (DENV) that cause Dengue fever, all of which are spread by a species of mosquito known as the Aedes aegypti mosquito, and more rarely by the Aedes albopictus mosquito. Aedes aegypti originated in Africa, but nowadays is found in all the tropical areas around the world and prospers in and close to areas of human population.
The high risk regions for catching dengue fever are Central America, South America, the Caribbean and tropical Asia; more specifically – northern Argentina, northern Australia, the entirety of Bangladesh, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, Micronesia, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Samoa, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad, Venezuela and Vietnam, and increasingly in southern China.
The virus is transmitted from an infected mosquito to human. The process begins when a person who is infected with the Dengue virus is bitten by a mosquito, the virus is then passed on when someone else is then bitten by the infected mosquito.
If you have suffered from dengue fever previously it is still possible to contract it again, because of the number of different types of viruses that cause the fever. If you were infected again and became ill, there is a greater risk of developing a harsher form of the disease, such as dengue hemorrhagic fever (particularly in children). This is unusual because, normally, previous exposure to a virus causes the body to carry antibodies that allow the body to fight off the virus more easily the second time.
symptoms during onset may be mild,maybe just have a fever, but gradually worsen after a number of days. DHF can result in death if not treated in time. Mild dengue fever symptoms may occur in DHF, as well as the ones listed below:
* Bleeding from your mouth/gums
* Nosebleeds
* Clammy skin
* Considerably damaged lymph and blood vessels
* Internal bleeding, which can result in black vomit and feces
* Lower number of platelets in blood (thrombocyt)
* Sensitive stomach
* Small blood spots under your skin
* Weak pulse
Because dengue is a virus there is no specific treatment or cure, however there are things the patient or the doctor can do to help, depending on the severity of the disease.
For milder forms of dengue the treatment methods are:
* Prevent dehydration – high fever and vomiting can dehydrate the body. Make sure you drink clean (ideally bottled) water rather than tap water. Rehydration salts can also help replace fluids and minerals.
* Painkillers – this can help lower fever and ease pain. As some NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), such as aspirin or ibuprofen can increase the risk of internal bleeding, patients are advised to use Tylenol (paracetamol) instead.
The following treatment options are designed for the more severe forms of dengue fever:
* Intravenous fluid supplementation (IV drip) – in some harsher cases of dengue the patient is unable to take fluids orally (via the mouth) and will need to receive an IV drip.
* Bloood transfusion – a blood transfusion may be recommended for patients with severe dehydration.
* Hospital care – it is important that you be treated by medical professionals, this way you can be properly monitored (e.g. fluid levels, blood pressure) in case your symptoms worsen. If the patient is cared for by physicians and nurses experienced with the effects and complications of hemorrhagic fever, lives can be saved.