Dengue fever is caused by the bite of the female Aedes mosquito. It injects viruses into the blood stream which circulate for a period of 2–7 days before signalling the onset of the disease through the apparent symptoms. Complex cases of dengue in infants can sometimes lead to death as well. The most lethal strain is that of the DHF or the dengue hemorrhagic fever in infants, which is a potentially alarming condition and requires immediate and prompt hospitalisation. Worldwide, countries with tropical and sub-tropical climates are increasingly getting affected with this killer disease.
Almost two fifths of the world population is reeling under the repercussions of this deadly infection today. Although some strains of dengue fever in infants are considered to be self limiting, there have been no proven cures for this disease, till date. The only way to address the problem is by controlling the breeding of infected mosquitoes through community programs and awareness drives.
Coming to terms with some relevant facts pertaining to this killer disease in children can perhaps come in handy.
With no vaccines and no specific curative medications, dengue hemorrhagic fever in infants can prove to be an extremely dangerous illness to deal with. The least we can do is to control the breeding of infected mosquitoes by keeping our surroundings clean and maintaining a hygienic lifestyle.
Almost two fifths of the world population is reeling under the repercussions of this deadly infection today. Although some strains of dengue fever in infants are considered to be self limiting, there have been no proven cures for this disease, till date. The only way to address the problem is by controlling the breeding of infected mosquitoes through community programs and awareness drives.
Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever: Some Important Facts
Coming to terms with some relevant facts pertaining to this killer disease in children can perhaps come in handy.
- Common symptoms of the dengue fever might include intense pain behind the eyes, joint and muscle pain, intense headaches, high fever and most significantly, a killing pain in the back. The back ache is so severe that this particular pain is actually termed as the backbreaking fever. However, the symptoms of dengue hemorrhagic fever in infants can be more complicated and scary. Some of these include enlargement of the liver, bleeding in the gums and nose, internal bleeding in some cases, hemorrhagic symptoms, vomiting, abdominal pain, nausea and high temperature. Sometimes, this might also result in the complete failure of the circulatory system. This can be manifested through blood vessel leaks.
- Dengue is caused by the cumulative effect of four different viruses. If a patient recovers from the infection caused by one of these, he develops immunity for that particular virus. However, for the other three, the protection is partial and transient. Therefore, recurrent infection can eventually expose the person to the risks of dengue hemorrhagic fever.
- There are no specific medications for dengue hemorrhagic fever. However, the best one can do is to seek immediate hospitalisation so that the volume of the circulating fluids in the body can be maintained.
- There are currently no vaccines available to protect your children from this potentially life threatening illness. There are several challenges to the road to developing a suitable vaccine for dengue hemorrhagic fever in infants. However, scientists have still not been able to figure out how the virus affects the immune system and have not been successful in correctly decoding its behaviour.
With no vaccines and no specific curative medications, dengue hemorrhagic fever in infants can prove to be an extremely dangerous illness to deal with. The least we can do is to control the breeding of infected mosquitoes by keeping our surroundings clean and maintaining a hygienic lifestyle.
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