Every August 26, the International Dengue Day is celebrated, to raise awareness about this disease: care, and recommendations to avoid it. This disease is transmitted only by the bite of a mosquito.

What is dengue?

It is an acute infection caused by a virus that can affect any age group. You can become infected if an infected mosquito bites you. Dengue is not spread from person to person. It is common in hot and humid areas of the world. Outbreaks can occur in the rainy season.

Symptoms include high fever, headaches, joint and muscle pain, vomiting, and a rash. There are  four varieties of dengue , with hemorrhagic dengue being  the most serious. It is possible for the same person to develop the disease four times, each time from a different strain of the virus.

Millions of cases of dengue infection occur annually around the world. Dengue is most prevalent in Southeast Asia, the western Pacific islands, Latin America, and Africa. But the disease has spread to new areas, including local outbreaks in Europe and the southeastern United States.

Dengue Facts

Researchers are working on dengue vaccines. In areas where dengue fever is common, the best way to prevent infection is to avoid mosquito bites and take steps to reduce the mosquito population.

During 2019, an increase in the incidence of dengue was observed globally. Among the factors involved is the phenomenon of global warming, which expands the habitat of the vector, the poor treatment of bodies of water that favors
its growth and increases in population density, migratory phenomena and human movements, which together increase the transmission possibilities.

In 2020, at epidemiological week 18, 2,134 probable cases of Dengue have been reported. The trend of the probable cases of Dengue in the state of Jalisco compared to what was registered in 2019 in the last 4 weeks shows a slight upward trend.

Only in the past week (August 19, 2021) 1,652 cases of Dengue have been registered in the country, of which 1036 are type one and 616 are Dengue Hemorrhagic, with already 5 deaths, so it is a disease that must be had in mind all the time.

How to Prevent Dengue?

Being a disease born from mosquitoes, the simplest thing is to prevent mosquito bites. Many organizations suggest the following to protect yourself from dengue:

• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
• Put repellent, such as permethrin, on clothing.
• Use mosquito repellent.
• Consider using mosquito nets if you will be in areas with many mosquitoes.
• Make sure you have closed doors and windows to prevent mosquitoes from entering indoors.
• Avoid areas with standing water. Especially at times of the day with high mosquito activity such as sunrise or sunset.

recommendations

• Remember that there is no home or herbal remedy that will remove dengue.
• You should never self-diagnose and even less self-medicate. There are very common, easily acquired medications that are used to lower fever and that, in the case of dengue, are more dangerous than the fever itself, since they can contribute to the presence of hemorrhages, which of course complicate the development of the disease.
• If there is a person suspected of suffering from dengue, they should see a doctor. In this case, the doctor, regardless of his diagnosis, must direct the suspected patient to the clinics of the Ministry of Health that can register suspected cases, take a sample to confirm dengue infection by laboratory methods. This makes it possible to monitor the patient and even refer the patient to doctors with experience in this disease to treat them in the event of complications from this type of infection.
• If a person is suspected of having dengue, it should be avoided that he is freely exposed to the bite of mosquitoes during the day, since the proliferation of the infection is promoted in the mosquito population and therefore in people. It would be convenient for the dengue patient to rest with a pavilion during the day.
• And mainly, if you feel any discomfort, consult your doctor.