Dengue : Rise
The High Court of Karnataka recently took Suo motu cognisance of the rise and the spread of dengue across the State.
- Dengue (break-bone fever) is a mosquito-borne viral infection.
- It is more common in tropical and subtropical climates, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas.
- While many dengue infections are asymptomatic or produce only mild illness, the virus can occasionally cause more severe cases and even death.
- It is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitos carrying one of four types of dengue virus (DENV).
- Dengue isn’t contagious from person to person except when passed from a pregnant person to their child.
- An estimated 400 million dengue infections occur worldwide each year, with about 96 million resulting in illness.
- A person can be infected with dengue multiple times in their life.
- The most common symptoms are high fever, headache, body aches, nausea, and rash. Most will get better in 1–2 weeks.
- A very small portion of people with dengue fever get a severe case. It’s called dengue hemorrhagic fever.
Symptoms show up as the fever begins to ease. These may include vomiting that does not go away, rapid breathing, blood in vomit, and bleeding gums. - Individuals who are infected for the second time are at greater risk of severe dengue. In severe cases, dengue can be fatal.
- There is no specific medicine to treat dengue. The focus is on treating pain symptoms.
- It is generally treated with supportive care such as pain relievers, bed rest, and fluids.
