Know More Symptoms of Dengue Fever?

Dengue fever generally attacks people whose immune system is declining. Actually, when we are exposed to dengue infection, the body will produce immunity against this type of dengue virus, this immunity will last a lifetime. Unfortunately, dengue fever is caused by many strains or types of viruses so that even if we are immune to one type, we can still suffer from dengue fever from other types of viruses.

Dengue hemorrhagic fever or DHF is dengue fever with a more severe degree. The main difference is that in dengue fever, no bleeding manifestations were found in the patients. On the skin of patients with dengue fever only a reddish rash appears, while in patients with dengue fever, bleeding spots will appear. In addition to bleeding on the skin, people with dengue hemorrhagic fever can also experience bleeding from the gums, nose, intestines and others. If not treated immediately, dengue hemorrhagic fever can cause death.

Which areas are susceptible to dengue fever?

Dengue fever is common in tropical and subtropical areas. Asia ranks first in the number of dengue fever sufferers each year. This may be due to the very high rainfall in Asia, especially in East and South Asia coupled with poor environmental sanitation.

WHO estimates that more than 500,000 of the 50 million cases of dengue fever require hospitalization. More than 40% of the world's population lives in areas where dengue fever is endemic.

How is dengue fever transmitted?

The dengue virus is transmitted through the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito which has previously bitten people infected with dengue. This mosquito population will increase rapidly during the rainy season, but Aedes aegypti mosquitoes can also live and breed in water reservoirs throughout the year. One bite of an infected mosquito is capable of causing dengue in healthy people.

Transmission of dengue fever cannot be directly from human to human but must be through mosquitoes so that we don't have to worry about direct contact with dengue fever sufferers.

What are the symptoms and signs of dengue fever?

After being bitten by a mosquito carrying the virus, the incubation period will last from 3 to 15 days until symptoms of dengue fever appear. Symptoms of dengue fever will begin with a feeling of chills, headache, pain when moving the eyeballs and back pain. Pain in the legs and joints will occur a few hours after the symptoms of dengue fever began to be felt. Body temperature will increase rapidly reaching 40 degrees Celsius with a normal pulse rate and blood pressure that tends to fall. The eyeball will appear red. Redness also appears on the face which will quickly disappear. The glands in the neck and throat are sometimes enlarged.

Fever and other symptoms of dengue fever will last for 2 days which is then followed by a rapid decrease in temperature accompanied by increased sweat production. This period of decreasing temperature usually lasts a day, after which the body temperature will rise again rapidly. At this time the patient's entire body will be red except on the face.

Hermina's friend, if you experience the symptoms as above, immediately take them to the nearest health facility for help and consult a pediatrician.