People are now alert with Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever after it was announced in all media channels last night that one of Thai superstars is in coma from this disease and receiving the treatment in Ramathibodi Hospital. A tropical fever that commonly known in Thailand are threatening people from its fatal symptoms. Elite+ will bring readers to get to know this disease more.
What is Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever?
Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever is an infection transmitted by Aedes or common house mosquitoes and it is usually found in tropical regions especially South East Asia and Pacific Islands. The lethal type was first recognized in the 1950s when dengue epidemics spread out in the Philippines and Thailand. Regarding to WHOs, before 1970, there were only 9 countries experiencing severe dengue epidemics. Recently, the disease is breakout in more than 100 countries including Africa, the Americas, the Eastern Mediterranean, South-East Asia and the Western Pacific. The reason why this virus can lead to death is because it can develop a drop of blood pressure and blood platelets. In Thailand, Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever is regarded as a severe epidemic that usually outbreaks during rainy season. Bureau of Vector Borne Diseases Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health recorded that one of the most serious outbreak in the country happened in 2013. 146,115 people were infected by this fever and it caused 128 sufferers to death. Likewise the locals, travellers to the tropical countries should be aware of this disease and observe the symptoms below.
What are Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever’s symptoms?
First the patients will find themselves getting a headache and catching a fever. Severity of the disease varies from high fever, nausea or pains in the muscles and joints. However, the causes that stimulate the fatal disease are the result from the disturbing symptoms including bleeding or bruising under the skin. If the patients are not diagnosed with the right treatment, they might develop acute renal failure or other major-organs complications.
What treatment a Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever patient will have?
There is no definite treatment for this fever. The doctors can give various types of treatment according the most current condition in order to prevent the patient to become more severe. For the less severe cases, the patient will receive medications to reduce the fever and manage the pain. As they usually face with dehydration, the doctors will treat them with intravenous fluids together while monitoring the blood pressure.
Can Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever be prevented?
Basically, the disease can be prevented by wearing clothes covering the body that could protect you from mosquito bites especially when travelling to tropical climates or open sources of water which are the mosquito habitat. Mosquito repellent is another suggestion. There is an effort to produce the vaccine but currently Dengue vaccine has not been proved officially effective. Another methods commonly used in Thailand is the application of insecticide spray around the residence every couples of months.
