Dengue Fever Symptoms
There may be three different manifestations of the disease: dengue fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever and hemorrhagic shock.
Dengue fever is an illness similar with the flu. It affects more often teenagers and also adults and on rare occasions causes death. In contrast, dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is another more serious form, in which bleeding can occur and sometimes a state of shock, which can lead to death. In children is very serious and only early diagnosis, followed by timely treatment it can prevent death. The symptoms of dengue fever are not always the same, depending a lot on the age and general health of the patient. Infants (0-2yr) and very young kids may have a fever and measles-like rash, but difficult to differentiate from one of the flu, a rash illness, malaria, infectious hepatitis and other febrile illnesses. Teenagers and adults might have similar symptoms but usually varies between mild and serious.
Characteristics of dengue fever: Clinical manifestations depend on the patient's age. Infants and toddlers can suffer undifferentiated febrile illness with an outbreak of red spots on the skin. In older children and adults above may vary from a mild febrile illness accompanied by muscle pain (especially dorsal) and absence of respiratory symptoms, the classic form of abrupt onset. A few days gave the fever and generalized rash may occur in the form of reddish patches on the chest, then spreads to the face, arms and legs. The disease presents with large decay that requires the patient to be at rest even last febrile. In short, the most common symptoms are:
- High fever.
- Headache in the forehead.
- Pain behind the eyes that is exacerbated by eye movements.
- Joint and muscle aches ("Break Bone Fever")
- Loss of appetite and difficulties in the sense of taste.
- Macular or papular rash on the chest and lower limbs.
- Vomiting and more ofetn nausea.
Dengue Fever Symptoms and Diagnosis
Since late 2008 the definition of dengue changes because the old WHO classification was very rigid and the criteria used for case definition of dengue hemorrhagic fever requiring the performance of laboratory tests that were not available in all places. Thus up to 40% of the cases was not possible to apply the proposed classification. Additionally between 15 and 22% of patients with dengue shock did not meet the criteria for the guide, which were not given timely treatment. After several efforts by groups of experts in Asia and America, several studies such as the Dengue Control (DENCO) change the classification for dengue and severe dengue. This classification is more dynamic and wide, allowing a more holistic approach of the disease.
The disease (which one) has two styles: dengue and severe dengue. In 80% of cases the disease can be asymptomatic or mild, even going unnoticed. The natural history of the disease typically describes three clinical phases: A febrile phase, which lasts from 2 to 7 days, a critical phase, which shows the warning signs of the disease (abdominal pain, vomiting, mucosal bleeding, abnormal the state of consciousness), thrombocytopenia, the manifestations of organ damage (liver disease, myocarditis, encephalopathy, etc.), plasma extravasation shock or severe bleeding (usually associated with bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract). Finally, this recovery phase, in which there is a rise in platelet count and lymphocytes, hemodynamic stabilization, among others.
The definition of a probable case of dengue fever of up to 7 days, no apparent origin associated with the presence of two or more of the following:
- Headache
- Pain retrocular
- Myalgia
- Arthralgia
- Prostration
- Rash
- May or may not be accompanied by bleeding
- History of travel (up to 15 days before the onset of symptoms) or who resides in a dengue endemic area.
Other laboratory findings may include:
- Leukopenia
- Thrombocytopenia
- Hypoalbuminemia
- Hemoconcentration with increased hematocrit
Dengue Fever Transmission
It is transmitted through the bite of female Aedes aegypti mosquito of African origin but now spread throughout much of the regions of tropical and equatorial climate in the world. It is also a vector the Aedes albopictus, whose maximum activity is carried out during the day.
The Aedes aegypti is a species primarily diurnal, with most activity in the morning and just before dark.
He lives and lays its eggs in water where the larvae develop, often around or inside the houses, both in containers specifically used for the storage of water for domestic needs such as vases, jars, old tires and other objects that may hold standing water.
Usually they do not move more than 100 m, although the female does not find a suitable oviposition can fly up to 3 km, so it is often said that the mosquito bites is the same as one has "grown up". Only females bite. The males feed on plant sap. When it bites can transmit the dengue virus and yellow fever.
The person who is bitten by an infected mosquito may develop the disease, which is probably worse in children than in adults. The infection produces long-lasting immunity against the specific serotype of the virus. Does not protect against other serotypes and may subsequently exacerbate the hemorrhagic dengue.
For the mosquito transmits the disease must be concerned with the true etiologic agent: the dengue virus. Infection occurs when a mosquito bites a sick person and picks up the virus, and then bites a healthy (host) and transmits it.