Dengue cases reported

Here about dengue cases.

With monsoon setting up on the region, number of cases of waterborne diseases is showing a rapid increase. As most of these patients are

from Pandesara area, the local health department officials have been taking preventive measures in the entire Udhna zone. Of the 32 patients in last two months that have been recorded at NCH for cholera, 20 are from Udhna zone.
Officials of New Civil Hospital (NCH) said that of the patients admitted last week with complaints of diarrhoea, medical reports of four patients have shown they are suffering from cholera. Three of the four Rajesh Jaipal, Bhimsinh Budha and Pushpadevi Rathod -- are residents of Pandesara area, whereas fourth patient Sharuben is from Limbayat area.
Meanwhile, a 12-year-old boy Sameer Kamruddin, a resident of Navsari Bazaar area, was brought to SMIMER Hospital with dengue fever on Friday.

Facts about dengue.

Above about dengue.

Pathogenic agent
Dengue is caused by four closely related viruses (Den-1 to Den-4) within the genus flavivirus. These are single-stranded RNA viruses with a size of approximately 40 to 50 nm. The RNA genome is associated with the "C"-protein to form a nucleocapsid. In the surrounding lipid membrane, two proteins named "M" and "E" are embedded. The four serotypes differ in the amino acid composition of their "E"-proteins.
Transmission/pathogenesis
The dengue viruses are spread by the bites of infected female Aedes mosquitoes. The most important vector species is Aedes aegypti. In recent years, however, a secondary dengue vector in Asia, Aedes albopictus, has spread into the Americas, parts of Europe and Africa, causing several dengue outbreaks.
Only female mosquitoes transmit the virus. When an infected female feeds on human blood, the virus is transmitted. While the virus circulates in the human blood (for 2 to 7 days), the infected individual experiences fever – the most prominent dengue symptom. During this time, other female Aedes mosquitoes biting the infected human can take up the virus and – after an incubation time of about 10 days – spread it on to other human hosts during subsequent blood meals. The viruses are also transferred vertically, i.e. from a female mosquito to her offspring via the eggs. Human to human transmission does not occur, but the virus can be transmitted by infected blood or blood products (platelets, plasma).

Cases discovered in Shabwa

Here about dengue cases.

Almost 200 cases of dengue fever were discovered in Markha al-Sofla of Shabwa province, according to chair of Service Committee, Saeed al-Martoom.

Al-Martoom appealed Yemen's health ministry to widen the combat of dengue fever campaign in Markha al-Sofla and swiftly supply the area health office with medicines which are to be finished.

An official of the Health Ministry said that 70 cases were reported to the ministry from the early of July.

Facts about dengue and yellow fever

Above about dengue and yellow fever.

Dengue is an important human viral disease transmitted by insects. Although nearly half the world's population is at risk for infection and as many as 100 million cases occur annually,¹ we have no antiviral drugs to treat it and no vaccines to prevent it. A closely related but much more lethal mosquito-borne virus, yellow fever, used to be one of the great scourges among humans. Although yellow fever is now largely controlled by vaccination, many regions are susceptible to a reemergence if the disease is introduced by travelers, and substantial recent problems with vaccine safety will no doubt change vaccination policy.

Both dengue and yellow fever are single-stranded RNA viruses in the family Flaviviridae, which includes West Nile virus and approximately 50 others. Substantial progress has been made in understanding the mechanism of the entry of these viruses into cells, the atomic structure of the viral envelope (see figure), the interactions between the molecular determinants and the host antibody, and the mechanism underlying the neutralization of the virus by antibodies.² The unraveling of virus–cell and virus–antibody interactions at the molecular level may lead to the development of antiviral drugs, improved vaccines, and tests for protective and pathological antibodies.

Dengue and yellow fever are endemic to and epidemic in tropical regions (see map). Both are zoonoses maintained in nature by transmission to humans from monkeys or mosquitoes that breed in tree holes. Infected humans have high blood levels of virus and can therefore infect vector mosquitos. After an incubation period of about 10 days, during which the virus replicates in the salivary-gland tissues of blood-feeding aedes mosquitoes, they can transmit the virus to another person. Throughout the tropics, the principal vector for endemic and epidemic spread, Aedes aegypti, has adapted to living among humans in domestic environments. Increasing human population density, urbanization, poor sanitation (creating breeding sites for larval mosquitoes), reinfestation (in the 1970s) of South America by A. aegypti after a successful eradication campaign, and the movement of infected persons by airplanes have contributed to a substantial increase in dengue incidence during the past 50 years.² A. aegypti mosquitoes are prevalent in the southern United States, which is therefore receptive to the introduction and spread of both dengue and yellow fever.

Let’s prevent dengue

Here about how to prevent dengue.

A small mosquito can lead to serious medical problems like dengue. With news and media getting the dangers of dengue into limelight, everyone is looking for ways to prevent this viral infection which can even be fatal in rare cases.

This article will throw light on some basic facts of dengue along with providing some helpful tips on ways you can prevent yourself from it.

As mentioned above, dengue is a problem that is spread through mosquito bites and is caused by a virus. Its prime symptoms include fever, muscle and joint pains, rashes on the body, nausea, headaches and pain behind the eyes.

Since there is no vaccine for dengue available yet, the only way you can protect yourself is by taking proper preventive steps. Read ahead and find out how you can shield yourself from the problem of dengue.

The fact is that dengue spreads through mosquito bites. Thus, to prevent mosquito bites, you must ensure that you don’t allow mosquitoes to breed in or near your house.

For this, you need to ensure that you don’t have any stagnant water near your house. During summers, change the water of your coolers frequently and also keep your drainage system clean and hygienic. Use mosquito repellents if you find a lot of mosquitoes flying in your house.

If you are fond of keeping flowers and plants at home, you must ensure that there is no stagnant water in pots or in flower vase. You should keep changing the water of flower vase so as to prevent stagnant water which can turn into mosquito’s breeding place.

To prevent dengue, you must avoid going in crowded places, especially during the times when there is a spread of this infection. Also, wear full sleeved shirts and keep your body covered through proper clothing to avoid mosquito bites on your body.

Thus, follow the above given tips to effectively prevent yourself from the problem of dengue.

Dengue cases increase

Above about dengue.

Confirmed dengue cases in American Samoa increased slightly in June compared to May.

The LBJ Medical Center’s chief medical officer, Taulapapa Dr. Aloiamoa Anesi, says May had only eight confirmed cases of dengue but in June a total of 13 cases were tested positive.

In May, there were 25 cases tested and in June a total of 57 were tested.

Taulapapa says that as American Samoa is in the winter and flu season it is a clinical decision by the physician whether to test and treat for dengue, influenza A and B or seasonal flu, depending on complaints and the severity of a person’s symptoms.

Both the LBJ and Department of Health are urging local residents to continue preventive measures as recommended and eliminate mosquito breeding grounds.

Help control Dengue and Chikungunya

Here about control the dengue.

Ahmedabad, Jul 19 (PTI) In an attempt to prevent Aedes mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and chikungunya, a new technology developed by the Oxford University will be lab-tested in the country to check the breeding of the vectors following a green signal from the Union Government.
Scientists at Oxford University and its offshoot company Oxitec have come up with a new technology whereby genetically modified male Aedes mosquitoes could be released to mate with female mosquitoes of the species and the resulting larvae are destined to perish without becoming adults.
It is hoped that sustained releases of this mosquito could suppress the population of the biting female mosquitoes below the level at which they cannot spread these diseases.
"Only male mosquitoes are used in the technology and since these cannot bite, the technology will not result in biting nuisance or increased transmission of any disease.

Cut dengue infection rates

Abouve about cut dengue infection with ‘doomed’ mosquitos.

Scientists say that genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes, whose young die early in development, could provide a powerful means for combating dengue fever and other mosquito-borne diseases.

Sterile insects have been used for over 50 years to control or eliminate pests or disease-carrying insects such as the tsetse fly. But methods to produce sterilisation, such as radiation, are inefficient.

In research published in the journal BMC Biology last week (20 March), researchers genetically modified Aedes aegypti mosquitoes — which spread dengue and yellow fever virus — to carry genes that cause offspring to die either early in their development or at the later larval or pupal stages.

The researchers say that the gene causing death at the later stages of development was most effective at reducing the populations.

They mathematically modelled the impact these mosquitoes would have on a mosquito population in the wild.

The results indicated that by spreading the lethal genes, and ensuring that the offspring die before causing harm, GM mosquitoes could effectively reduce the wild mosquito population — and thus transmission of the dengue virus — in areas where the disease is prevalent.
"Controlling Aedes aegypti would help in the fight against chikungunya and yellow fever as well," says S. Vasan, a visiting research fellow at Oxford University, United Kingdom.

"With reasonable funding, this technology can also be extended to control other important [disease-carrying] mosquitoes including Aedes albopictus and Anopheles species."

Vasan told SciDev.Net that the mosquitoes have been tested at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, France.

He added that extensive testing was already taking place at the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Vectors in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and that India's Review Committee on GM is examining a proposal to conduct small-scale trials.
Paul Reiter, head of the Insects and Infectious Disease Unit at the Pasteur Institute, welcomed the development, indicating that novel approaches are urgently required to replace traditional insecticidal approaches that have little, if any, impact on disease transmission. 

Dengue fever is endemic in more than 100 countries in Africa, the Americas, the eastern Mediterranean, southeast Asia and the western Pacific. The World Health Organization estimates there may be 50 million cases of dengue infection worldwide every year.

Reduce risk of dengue

Here’s about dengue.

Red Cross volunteers across Sri Lanka are working to stop the spread of a dengue fever epidemic that has already claimed 175 lives and affected more than 17,000 people.

The Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) is working closely with the Ministry of Health to raise awareness of the disease and help people reduce their risk of catching it.

With funding from the American Red Cross, 28 schools in the southern Galle and Matara districts have been given awareness-raising workshops for students and their parents on how to keep a clean and clear environment, prevent stagnant water bases and to seek medical advice as soon as they think they might be infected.

Lack of knowledge

Winodan Dias, project coordinator for the SLRCS disaster preparedness programme in Galle, says: "Many have now realized that it is not just about keeping one's environment clean and clear of mosquito breeding pits. The rise in the level of the epidemic also has a lot to do with the lack of knowledge about the disease."

As well as disseminating information, the health authorities have implemented a national dengue control programme, which gives public health inspectors and officials the right to inspect public places and residences for mosquito breeding sites and take legal action against offenders.

Leaflets have been distributed in 14 schools and communities in the Galle and Matara districts, Gampaha and Colombo and banners have been erected in various public places and among community villages not just in Galle and Matara but also in Colombo and Gampaha districts. The SLRCS and a number of communities in both districts have also campaigns to help clean their villages and get rid of potential mosquito breeding grounds.

Awareness-raising

The SLRCS has also encouraged teams of volunteers known as village disaster management committees to include door-to-door awareness-raising in their campaigns in various areas in the south, including Bentota, Balapitiya, Hikaduwa, Galle and Habaraduwa.

In June, the World Health Organization said that some 2.5 billion people are now at risk from dengue and established that there may be 50 million cases of the disease worldwide every year.

Dengue treatment

 

Above about dengue treatment.

The mainstay of treatment is timely supportive therapy to tackle shock due to haemoconcentration and bleeding. Close monitoring of vital signs in critical period (between day 2 to day 7 of fever) is vital. Increased oral fluid intake is recommended to prevent dehydration. Supplementation with intravenous fluids may be necessary to prevent dehydration and significant concentration of the blood if the patient is unable to maintain oral intake. A platelet transfusion is indicated in rare cases if the platelet level drops significantly (below 20,000) or if there is significant bleeding. The presence of melena may indicate internal gastrointestinal bleeding requiring platelet and/or red blood cell transfusion.

Aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs should be avoided as these drugs may worsen the bleeding tendency associated with some of these infections. Patients may receive paracetamol preparations to deal with these symptoms if dengue is suspected.^[8]

Traditional and emerging treatments

Emerging evidence suggests that mycophenolic acid and ribavirin inhibit dengue replication. Initial experiments showed a fivefold increase in defective viral RNA production by cells treated with each drug.^[9] In vivo studies, however, have not yet been done. Unlike HIV therapy, lack of adequate global interest and funding greatly hampers the development of treatment regime.

In Brazilian traditional medicine, dengue is treated with cat's claw herb, which is for inflammation and does not prevent dengue.^[10]

In Malaysia, dengue is treated by some using natural medicine. Mas Amirtha and Semalu developed by the Alternative Medicine Research Institute, Center for Asia.^{[citation needed]} The treatment is speculated to be able to arrest and reverse the viral infection and prevent the disease from advancing into a critical stage, though no evidence has yet shown effectiveness. In Philippines dengue patients use tawa-tawa herbs and sweet-potato-tops juice to increase the platelets counts and revived the patients.

About dengue fever

Here’s about dengue fever.

Dengue fever (pronounced Den-gay) is a viral infection caused by the female mosquito (Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus). Dengue fever occurs in tropical and sub-tropical regions and usually increases in the hot and humid months. Dengue fever is not a new disease. It was discovered several hundred years ago. In recent years, dengue fever has become a major international public health concern.
Dengue fever nicknamed "breakbone fever" because dengue patients usually express contorted movements due to intense joint and muscle pain. Benjamin Rush from Philadelphia, US, first described "breakbone fever" in 1780. Slaves who developed dengue fever in the West Indies were said to have "dandy fever" because of their posture and gait.
Dengue fever lasts for approximately 7 days, despite its sudden and acute onset. However, extra precautions should be taken after the recovery period. These precautions will help prevent severe illness from occurring in some people, such as dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) or dengue shock syndrome (DSS). These illnesses are potentially lethal and are today the leading cause of childhood mortality in several Asian countries.

Aedes Mosquito

Dengue signs and symptoms

Above about dengue signs and symptoms.

DENGUE FEVER and DENGUE HEMORRHAGIC FEVER are acute febrile diseases found in the tropics caused by four closely related virus serotypes of the genus flavivirus (DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3 and DEN4) Family Flaviviridae. Infection with one of these serotypes does not provide cross-protective immunity, so persons living in a dengue-endemic area can have four dengue infections during their lifetime.

Mode of Transmission:

• Dengue viruses are transmitted to humans through the bites of infective female Aedes aegypti, and Aedes albopictus.

• Mosquito biting activity is greatest in the morning for several hours after daybreak and in the late afternoon before dark. This mosquito breeds in clear and stagnant water found in containers such as discarded tires, cans, barrels, buckets, gallon, drums, flower vases, and cisterns, all frequently found in domestic environment.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

• Sudden onset of high fever which may last 2 to 7 days

• Joint and muscle pain

• Pain behind the eyes (retro-orbital pain)

• Weakness

• Flushed (reddened) face

• Skin rashes - maculopapular rash or red tiny spots on the skin called petechiae

• Nose bleeding

• Taste aberration

• Pronounced anorexia

• Nausea

• Abdominal pain

• Vomiting of coffee-colored matter

• Dark-colored stools

Vaccine for dengue

Here's about vaccine for dengue.

No dengue vaccine is available. Recently, however, attenuated candidate vaccine viruses have been developed. Efficacy trials in human volunteers have yet to be initiated. Research is also being conducted to develop second-generation recombinant vaccine viruses. Therefore, an effective dengue vaccine for public use will not be available for 5 to 10 years.

Prospects for reversing the recent trend of increased epidemic activity and geographic expansion of dengue are not promising. New dengue virus strains and serotypes will likely continue to be introduced into many areas where the population densities of Ae. aegypti are at high levels. With no new mosquito control technology available, in recent years public health authorities have emphasized disease prevention and mosquito control through community efforts to reduce larval breeding sources. Although this approach will probably be effective in the long run, it is unlikely to impact disease transmission in the near future. We must, therefore, develop improved, proactive, laboratory-based surveillance systems that can provide early warning of an impending dengue epidemic. At the very least, surveillance results can alert the public to take action and physicians to diagnose and properly treat DF/DHF cases.

The history of dengue

Here's the history of dengue.

The first reported epidemics of DF occurred in 1779-1780 in Asia, Africa, and North America. The near simultaneous occurrence of outbreaks on three continents indicates that these viruses and their mosquito vector have had a worldwide distribution in the tropics for more than 200 years. During most of this time, DF was considered a mild, nonfatal disease of visitors to the tropics. Generally, there were long intervals (10-40 years) between major epidemics, mainly because the introduction of a new serotype in a susceptible population occurred only if viruses and their mosquito vector could survive the slow transport between population centers by sailing vessels.

A pandemic of dengue began in Southeast Asia after World War II and has spread around the globe since then. Epidemics caused by multiple serotypes (hyperendemicity) are more frequent, the geographic distribution of dengue viruses and their mosquito vectors has expanded, and DHF has emerged in the Pacific region and the Americas. In Southeast Asia, epidemic DHF first appeared in the 1950s, but by 1975 it had become a frequent cause of hospitalization and death among children in many countries in that region.

Causes of dengue

What are causes to dengue?

Dengue (DF) and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) are caused by one of four closely related, but antigenically distinct, virus serotypes (DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, and DEN-4), of the genus Flavivirus. Infection with one of these serotypes provides immunity to only that serotype for life, so persons living in a dengue-endemic area can have more than one dengue infection during their lifetime. DF and DHF are primarily diseases of tropical and sub tropical areas, and the four different dengue serotypes are maintained in a cycle that involves humans and the Aedes mosquito. However, Aedes aegypti, a domestic, day-biting mosquito that prefers to feed on humans, is the most common Aedes species. Infections produce a spectrum of clinical illness ranging from a nonspecific viral syndrome to severe and fatal hemorrhagic disease. Important risk factors for DHF include the strain of the infecting virus, as well as the age, and especially the prior dengue infection history of the patient.

Serious dengue infected for elderly person

Here's about dengue infected more serious for elderly person.

Older people who become infected with the dengue virus are more likely to need hospitalization, are more likely to suffer more severe forms of the infection, and are more likely to die compared to any other age group except infants. The findings are a part of the first research study that analyzed the clinical manifestations of dengue infection among persons 65 and older. The findings are described in an English-language article in the June 2003 issue of the "Revista Panamericana de Salud Pblica/Pan American Journal of Public Health," a journal published by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). The study was done by Enid J. Garca-Rivera and Jos G. Rigau-Prez, two scientists with the dengue Branch, a unit of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That CDC unit is located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

For their study, the CDC researchers looked at data from more than 17,600 laboratory-confirmed dengue cases for Puerto Rico from 1994 through 1999 and divided those patients into four age groups: infants (up to 23 months of age), youth (2 to 18 years old), adults (19 to 64 years old), and elderly (65 and older). The elderly persons were more likely than the youths and the adults to have been hospitalized, and only slightly less likely so than the infants. The same pattern was true for occurrences of a more severe form of dengue called dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF): the elderly were more likely to have suffered DHF than either the youths or adults and only slightly less likely so than the infants. While the number of deaths was small among the dengue cases in Puerto Rico, a similar age pattern held: the death rate among the elderly was higher than among the youths and adults and statistically about the same as for the infants.

After being brought under control in many tropical areas of the world, dengue fever has been re-emerging over the last several decades, and some 2.5 to 3.0 billion persons now live in parts o