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During it life cycle, the dengue mosquito passes
through four distinct phases of development which
are as follows:
Eggs
The female Aedes mosquito
lays eggs in clean water. Even a very small
quanity of this water is quite enough for this
purpose (e.g., water utensils in which water is
kept, vases or discarded items in which water can
collect)
Larva
The eggs hatched into larvae after 2- 7
days. They breathe through siphon which protrude
out of water. They feed on bacteria or other
microorganisms. They move actively from top to the
bottom. As they grow they change their skin for
four times. Later they change to the next stage
called Pupa.
Pupa
They live near the surface of water and
breathe through small tubes present on the dorsal
surface of the body. They do not feed.
Adult
After two days the skin of the dorsal
surface of pupa bursts and mosquito emerges out.
After resting sometime, it flies away.
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Preventive
Measures & Control |
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This disease can
be controlled by following the famous saying
that "Prevention is better than cure". The
best way to avoid this disease is to minimize
the chances of contact between the mosquito
and the human being. For this purpose people
should wear clothes with long sleeves, use
mosquito nets and coils, mosquito repellents
to keep themselves secure from the mosquito
bites.
At household
level, every comer of the house should be
sprayed with some suitable insect killer and
the principles of hygiene should be strict1y
observed. The water should not be allowed to
stand at any place. The other people of the
community should also be fully informed about
various aspects of the disease through Radio,
TV and newspaper.
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Symptoms |
Characteristic
Symptoms of Dengue Fever are:
- High
fever, above 102°F
- Severe
headache and pain behind the eyes.
- Weakness
and fatigue.
- Pain in
the muscles and joints because of which
it is also called “Break-Bone Fever”.
- Chill,
nausea or rash on skin may also occur.
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Gradually the white blood cells (WBC)
and the platelets count decrease.
- Majority
of the patients recover after 4-5 days.
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Complication of Dengue Fever |
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Dengue fever,
in severe cases, can develop into dengue
haemorrhagic fever (DHF) in which bleeding
starts from different parts of the body.
In such cases the patient should be
immediately admitted to the hospital. In
case of severe disease, it can develop
into a more severe form known as dengue
shock syndrome (DSS). Initial symptos of
all these types may be similar.
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Diagnostic Tests |
The
diagnosis of this disease is based upon
careful observations of the symptoms
accompanied with various blood tests.
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Patient Management |
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The
patient is a person who suffers from a
disease. A complete understanding of
the symptoms of the disease as it
progresses through different phases is
very important in this regard.
Early Phase
Since this phase is marked by high
fever, care should be taken to prevent
the rise in temperature. In case of
high grade fever sponging with
moderately cold waster should be done.
Paracetomol should be give to the
patient on doctor’s advice to subside
temperature and pain.
Late Phase
The later phase is characterized by
the rapid decrease in the fluid level
of the patient; therefore the
appropriate level of fluid should be
maintained in the body of the patient
by giving fresh juices or ORS (Oral
Rehydration Salt).
In severe
cases the patient enters into a
condition of unconsciousness or shock.
He/she should immediately be admitted
to a hospital and instructions of the
doctor should strictly be followed. |
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