Updated: 03-05-2025
Dengue is dangerous, and it can even cause death if preventive measures are not taken in advance.
Dengue germs are carried by mosquitoes, which bite victims to spread dengue.
However, dengue fever patients can recover in the event of early diagnosis of this lethal fever.
Good treatment and timely care are helpful to patients in maintaining good health and overcoming physical disorders.
At present, four distinct dengue serotypes have been identified, including DEN1, DEN2, DEN3, and DEN4.
Warning Signs of Dengue Fever
- Patients need to be familiar with the symptoms of dengue to have quick safeguards.
- They should not hesitate to go to the local clinics for treatment after detecting dengue.
- However, in some cases, there is a proximity between dengue and other skin rashes, such as measles.
- This life-threatening disease weakens patients who experience frequent bleeding, episodes of fatigue, and abrupt nosedives in the quantity of blood plasma platelets.
- Basic symptoms, which are visible/identifiable at the preliminary phase, are a headache, fever, pain in the joints and muscles, and the exhibition of large red spots on the skin.
- If patients are confused, they should ask doctors about the detection of dengue or measles for advanced treatment.
- Generally, the incubation period lasts between 3 and 14 days.
If any traveller who is infected or affected by fever starting after 7-14 days of arrival at home can have a low risk of the onset of dengue.
The way of Transmission of Dengue Fever
- Mosquitoes are vehicles to transport this deadly germ.
- The Aedes type mosquito is mainly responsible for carrying the germs of dengue.
- Therefore, mosquitoes must be destroyed to prevent dengue.
- Until now, there is no particular vaccine or shot to minimise the risks of the spread of dengue.
- Therefore, find some easy preventive measures to stop the rapid expansion of dengue.
- Mosquito repellent substances should be used to end the lives of dengue germs.
- However, people must talk to experts before using such insecticides to destroy dengue.
- Houses must be disinfected and cleaned.
- Dengue germs should not be allowed to grow in the nooks and corners of the building.
- To control the transmission of dengue to people, clean waterlogged areas, develop sewerage systems, and block the ways of entry of mosquitoes.
- During the night, mosquito nets must be used to avoid attacks by mosquitoes.
- In dengue high-risk areas, people must undergo regular body check-ups, blood tests, and trials to know about the possibility of the occurrence of dengue.
- Surroundings must be detoxified.
- Join the environmental cleaning team to keep the neighbourhood and local drainage systems clean to control dengue.
- In this connection, local municipalities and senior citizens must admit their duties to educate the young generation about the cons of this dengue disease.
Dengue Fever Classification
WHO, or the World Health Organisation, has classified dengue into two subtypes:
- Severe
- Less intricate
Uncomplicated symptoms of dengue include fever, queasiness, pain in the muscles, and the appearance of some spots on the body.
However complicated or severe, dengue forces patients to go to hospitals for medical care.
Blood platelets drastically go down, making patients infirm, feeble, and incompetent.
Shots are needed immediately to keep the balance in the percentage of blood platelets.
Broad Classification
- At the same time, modern scientists have done more classifications by categorising dengue into I-IV.
- This grading system helps doctors detect and prescribe medications to revive the energy of patients with dengue fever.
- Grade I is believed to be uncomplicated due to the presence of mild skin bruising with fluctuating body temperature.
- In the second phase, or II levels, there is uninterrupted bleeding followed by body weakness.
- A doctor’s advice is essential for those who need immediate treatment and further medical tests.
- Grades III and IV are considered to be complicated/severe because of the lack of blood platelets.
During the exposure of this disease, patients who have a low level of blood platelets must be hospitalised for the transplantation of more platelets for recovery.
Diagnostic Procedures to Identify Dengue
- Before treating patients with medications, healthcare experts conduct recurrent medical trials and blood screening.
- They perform tests to count platelets at the research labs before making decisions for platelet transfer.
- At first, doctors collect samples of blood from the patients.
- The second stage of the microbiological tests includes complete blood testing, virus isolation, and proper platelet counting.
- Body antigen build-ups bring risks to patients who have a low capability to bear higher temperatures and infection.
- PCR tests are conducted within seven days of the appearance of symptoms of dengue.
- Nucleic acid testing is done through a PCR device.
- It makes the diagnosis more successful.
- This PCR test helps experts to do quick viral detection to trace dengue in the body of a patient.
Especially children with dengue fever lose competency and the ability to feel healthy.
Therefore, if the antigen levels become uncontrollable, urgent care needs to be taken for the prevention of dengue.
Counteracting Dengue Symptoms
- Doctors have no specific medications to recommend for the removal of dengue disease.
- Patients are still deprived of getting such powerful medications to have faster relief from dengue.
- However, there are some useful tips for you to manage dengue at the initial stage.
- Dengue increases body temperature and lowers the number of blood platelets to create much more long-lasting physical discomfort.
- Dengue patients must take some medications to control their temperature.
- When dengue becomes severe, patients have to bear pain and stress.
- Intake of pain relief pills like acetaminophen enables patients to recover from physical health hazards, stress, and trauma.
Note:
Experts advise that dengue patients should not use aspirin at any cost to overcome the severe symptoms of dengue, as it can cause serious side effects.
- Patients must take distilled water to drink regularly.
- They should cleanse the body by drinking water to allow debris, toxins, and dengue germs to be outside via urine.
In case dengue causes a rapid decrease in the blood platelets, they should be given new platelets for compensation.
Note:
It is very important to have disinfected blood for transmission, as infected blood can increase complications and may cause the introduction of other diseases or further reduction in the amount of platelets.
It has been observed that patients have suffered from cardiac disorders, high blood pressure, and renal failure after a third-party blood transmission was made to increase the blood platelets.
That is why doctors prefer not to opt for platelet transmission if the blood platelets are 20000 or above.
Dengue Recovery
The recovery time for dengue includes 10 to 14 days, which is followed by one week of acute symptoms and a few more days for recovery.
Usually, the symptoms do not extend beyond two weeks.
Differentiating Between Dengue, Malaria, and Chicken Guinea
Dengue, malaria, and chicken guinea are all three mosquito-borne diseases, and hence, there can be confusion when it comes to perfectly diagnosing one out of three.
Laboratory testing and identification through symptoms and signs play a key role in making a conclusive decision in this case.
Here are some of the indications that can help you to differentiate:
- Chicken guinea and dengue are both caused by the infected Aedes aegypti, which are more active during the daytime than at night and usually breed in areas with the human population and more possibly in clean and open water storage areas.
- On the other hand, malaria is caused by Anopheles, which is more prevalent during dusk, dawn, and night.
- It takes 3 to 4 days for the symptoms of dengue to come to the fore, whereas the malarial symptoms start showing almost 2 weeks after the mosquito bite.
- Similarly, the symptoms of chicken guinea set in after a week from exposure to the Aedes aegypti.
- Surprisingly, in all three infections, the symptoms are almost similar, such as temperature above 102 degrees F, severe headaches, sudden high fever, joint and muscle pain, anaemia, vomiting, dizziness, and general weakness.
- Dengue can be differentiated from the other two as, in dengue, the fever comes, subsides, reappears, and is accompanied by skin rashes.
- Bleeding is an important part of dengue hemorrhagic fever that leads to low platelet count and WBC. This is not visible in the other two infections.
- Chicken guinea patients suffer from intense joint pains, but there is no bleeding like in the case of dengue.
- Similarly, in malaria, the fever is recurring but is accompanied by heat, sweating, and chills.
Note:
No vaccines or proper medications are available for treating both dengue and chicken guinea, and hence prevention and proper care during the infection are the only way out.
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