In the early weeks of 2020, I wrote an article called “Dengue and Why It Can Cause a Panic” and gave various examples of how this virus will spread in our society in the future. I also talked about what would we face if people had no way to control it (because who controls the virus?) and that we should prepare accordingly for such situations. Well, this year has been full of bad news (the virus is still here) and unfortunately, more than 50 million cases were reported globally — which is double the number from 2019. The most alarming thing is that we have already entered the second half of the season, so we are getting the first signs of severe dengue. There have been many deaths due to these outbreaks, including 1,500 people in Italy, so there are only two months left to prevent another pandemic. As I wrote above, I believe that those who live under the risk of being seriously ill with dengue are more exposed to being carriers compared to those who don’t live under the risk of catching the virus. So the question now is whether or not they can control the virus asymptomatically and avoid its contagion compared to the cases mentioned above.
At the beginning of August this year, when schools started preparing students for reopening a few months later, there was some fear among parents about the potential threat caused by Dengue and whether the return of children will help to spread the disease further due to a higher number of transmission. We don’t know yet what kind of infection is dangerous for children but they should be careful against infections by mosquito bites and other forms of vector-borne diseases like rubella, chikungunya, and cholera. And in terms of people, people living around mosquitoes are at greater risk of having Dengue or any other fatal infection and people who travel to areas where mosquitoes can infect can transmit the illness. As I stated previously, it is possible that the number of people infected with Dengue may increase significantly because of factors in certain countries where Dengue can be transmitted easily due to poor sanitation, poverty, and lack of awareness of the dangers of mosquitoes. But we think that all citizens should understand the signs and symptoms so that they can take precautions to avoid getting infected while having friends and relatives who are infected in other countries too.
But how do you know what is Dengue? Here is a list of things to consider while looking at Dengue.
1. Signs of Dengue and Other Viral Infections
Before Dengue, Dengue Fever is considered one of the world’s deadliest infectious illnesses, mainly because of its intense pain and fever. However, Dengue patients may experience mild or moderate cases of the flu, cold, cough, headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and general exhaustion. Symptoms of Dengue can occur from 2 days to 3 weeks after infection and often appear 6 to 10 days after the last contact with mosquitoes, but sometimes that does not necessarily mean you have Dengue. Dengue can cause minor side effects too, like headaches, stomach upset, and even fever. Also, there is an urgent need to stay away from mosquitoes and stop exposing yourself and your loved ones to them. We always keep mosquitoes, even those that reside near us in households and can transmit a lethal infection, at bay while we get more information about the danger of mosquitoes. If we stay aware and behave responsibly, then maybe next year, a real Dengue epidemic won’t happen here in Europe…
2. A Brief History of Dengue
Dengue virus is not new. It has existed as long as humans have been alive, although nowadays Dengue is not so common and is usually found only in tropical regions when people travel to the tropics or subarctic areas and those who live outside the tropics due to cultural differences.
3. Vaccines That Work Against Dengue
The World Health Organization recommends measles, mumps, rubella, polio, and hepatitis A and B vaccinations for children aged 6 months and older twice by age group, making sure that we don’t forget about children between ages 0 and 5 years, who cannot fully develop immunity due to the fact that their immune system is less developed and weaker. Dengue is no exception here.
4. Dengue Prevention
We are very lucky to have a vaccine against the Dengue virus that helps to protect against the virus and protects the population against high levels of the disease. Our primary prevention strategy, which has worked in several Asian countries and parts of Africa, is to maintain good hygiene practices, including personal protective equipment. We shouldn’t neglect the role of education to raise awareness of the dangers of mosquitos and how many people can become carriers after being bitten by mosquitoes. Another prevention strategy that is effective against Dengue is to isolate the person after being infected. This doesn’t have to be done as often as it usually is done, however, as soon as you get an alert for Dengue, isolate yourself and make sure you have enough supplies to treat yourself right away. Don’t let your guard down. Always remember to wear gloves, cover yourself or cover yourself in a shirt or over your mouth and nose. If you catch Dengue, don’t sleep right in bed or sleep on your back. When sleeping, cover yourself with wet clothing and make sure that the room is well ventilated. In the morning, get up slowly and wash the area where you have been infected and take care of yourself.
5. How To Control Dengue
To manage Dengue successfully, it’s important to follow the recommendations of WHO as soon as possible, regardless of location. Even though Dengue is not new anymore, we need to find ways of managing the infection so that the outbreak can be contained. First, we must make sure that we are aware of mosquitoes and of human behavior in the places we are going to visit. Therefore we must build awareness programs about mosquitoes and the risks we’re facing during those trips to different locations and areas and take precautions beforehand if we’ve heard about Dengue coming. We have to understand the situation here on the ground and learn how to deal with the threats our own actions may pose. Finally, we must try to reduce our contact with other people. Therefore we have to practice social distancing, wearing masks, avoiding crowded places, and using hand sanitizer or other hygienic solutions in public and in any situation where people are interacting in close proximity with each other.
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