Must Know! Facts Behind Dengue Fever

Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is an acute viral infection caused by the dengue virus. This disease is transmitted through the bites of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which contain the dengue virus. Transmission cannot occur directly between humans without the bite of the Aedes mosquito.
What we need to know is that not everyone infected with this virus shows severe symptoms; some only manifest as a mild fever or even no symptoms at all.

The following are some of the symptoms of dengue fever, including:

• Sudden high fever
• Headache, which is usually accompanied by pain behind the eyes
• Muscle and joint pain
• Weak
• Vomit
• Spontaneous bleeding

The characteristics of the main symptoms and signs of dengue fever are as follows:

• Sudden, continuous, high fever.

It lasts 2–7 days. Generally, at the end of the fever phase (after day 3), the fever begins to decrease and the patient feels better; however, this period is a critical period because shock can occur if supervision and monitoring are not carried out.

• Signs of bleeding.

Several types of bleeding that are often found in dengue fever patients are red spots on the skin (petechie), nosebleeds, bleeding gums, and gastrointestinal bleeding.

To differentiate between mosquito bites and petechia, you can press the red spot with a transparent plastic ruler; if it disappears with pressure, it means it is not petechie.

• Shock.

Several warning signs to prevent shock that need attention include fever decreasing but the condition worsening, continuous vomiting, abdominal pain and abdominal tenderness, anxiety, an enlarged liver, spontaneous bleeding, and reduced urine output.

 

Patients infected with the dengue virus will experience three phases of the disease course.

• The first phase

Starting from day 1 to day 4 is the fever phase, where in this phase the patient will complain of fever and other accompanying complaints that bother the patient.

• Second phase

Starting around day 5 to day 7, which is called the critical phase, complaints that were previously felt to be disturbing will relatively decrease and improve. However, in this phase, the patient's platelets can actually decrease rapidly, and the risk of problems with blood vessels throughout the body will increase. So in this critical phase, the incidence of shock (a drop in blood pressure) and the risk of bleeding will increase if it is not monitored and treated closely.

• Third phase

The healing phase is marked by an increase in platelets and an increasingly improved body condition.

 

If the doctor suspects dengue fever, further examinations will be carried out, such as supporting examinations, such as:

• Hematology examination to check hemoglobin, hematocrit, leukocytes, and platelets
• Serological examination (antibodies to dengue virus infection)
• Dengue virus antigen examination
• Radiology, such as a lung x-ray or abdominal ultrasound. This is to look for the possibility of fluid leaking into the chest cavity and abdominal cavity.

 

Basically, treatment of dengue infection is supportive and symptomatic by treating fluid loss as a result of blood vessel leaks and bleeding. Patients with dengue infection can receive outpatient treatment or receive treatment in an intensive care unit, depending on the severity of the symptoms. Establishing an early diagnosis and knowing the warning signs are important to reduce the death rate.

First aid that can be done by families or communities who find symptoms and signs of dengue infection:

• Rest during fever
• Administration of fever-reducing medication
• Warm compress
• Drink lots (1-2 liters per day).
• If a seizure occurs, loosen clothing, do not put anything in your mouth during the seizure, and take care not to bite your tongue.

If within 2–3 days the fever does not go down, accompanied by signs such as bleeding on the skin, vomiting, anxiety, or nosebleeds, then you must immediately go to the doctor for an immediate examination and help.

 

There are several things you can do to prevent dengue infection:

There are several things you can do to prevent dengue infection:

1. Drain the bathtub.
2. Close the water reservoir.
3. Recycle used goods.
4. Clean the house and surrounding environment.
5. Using anti-mosquito medication
6. Sprinkle larvicide powder in water reservoirs.
7. Don't hang clothes in the room.
8. Install wire screens on windows and ventilators.
9. Keep fish that eat mosquito larvae.
10. Wear closed clothing for outside activities.
11. Using Anti-Mosquito Lotion
12. Plant natural anti-mosquito plants.
13. Fogging
14. DHF vaccine

The dengue hemorrhagic fever vaccine, known as the Travalent Dengue Vaccine (TDV), has been approved for distribution by the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) since 2022.