Cases of Dengue is rising in Dakshina Kannada district 25/07/2019 – Posted in: Daily News – Tags:

DENGUE

 

For: Preliminary & Mains

Topics covered: Dengue- causes, virus, symptoms, prevention

 

News Flash

As many as 32 fresh cases of dengue were reported in Dakshina Kannada.

 

What is Dengue?

Dengue is a quick-rising pandemic-prone viral disease in numerous parts of the world. Dengue thrives in urban poor areas, rural areas, and the countryside but also affects more affluent neighborhoods in tropical and subtropical nations.

  • It is a mosquito-borne viral infection causing severe flu-like illness.
  • The life cycle of the dengue fever virus involves the role of mosquito as a transmitter (or vector) and humans as the main victim and source of infection.

 

Virus

The dengue virus (DEN) comprises four distinct serotypes (DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3 and DEN-4) which belong to the genus Flavivirus, family Flaviviridae.

 

The Mosquito

  • The Aedes aegypti mosquito is the main vector that transmits the viruses that cause dengue.
  • Aedes aegepti mosquito bites during daylight hours.
  • The viruses are passed on to humans through the bites of an infective female Aedes mosquito, which mainly acquires the virus while feeding on the blood of an infected person.

 

Background

  • Severe dengue (previously known as dengue haemorrhagic fever) was first recognized in the 1950s during dengue epidemics in the Philippines and Thailand.
  • Up to 50-100 million infections are now estimated to occur annually in over 100 endemic countries, putting almost half of the world’s population at risk.
  • Outbreaks have occurred in Southeast Asia, the Western Pacific, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Americas, the Caribbean, and Africa.

 

Signs and Symptoms of Dengue

  • Headache
  • Eye pain (typically behind the eyes)
  • Muscle, joint, or bone pain
  • Rash
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Unusual bleeding (nose or gum bleed, small red spots under the skin, or unusual bruising)

 

Dengue Vaccine: Dengvaxia®

National Dengue Day, May 16, is observed in India, to create awareness about dengue.

 

Prevention and control

  • Directorate of National Vector Borne Disease Control Programe is the nodal centre for the surveillance and prevention of dengue in India.
  • Integrated disease surveillance programme also helps in disease surveillance and outbreak detection/investigation of dengue in the country.

 

Source: WHO

 

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