Dengue fever is a tropical infectious disease affected by the dengue virus. Many people get infected by the dengue virus by “Yellow Fever Mosquitoes” or the “Aedes Aegypti” mosquito which has white spots on its body and breeds in clean water. The mosquito lays up to 100-200 eggs per batch and the mosquito has 5 batches in its lifetime.
These are the symptoms of dengue fever-
High fever
Nausea
Pain behind the eyes
Vomiting
Skin Rash
How does dengue kill people?
Death caused by dengue is rare. Dengue has two types
Dengue Fever
Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (Severe Dengue)
Dengue hemorrhagic fever can kill you. The blood vessels in the nervous system can leak causing the nervous system to be in shock and shut down leading to death.
Severe Dengue is a fatal complication and its Symptoms are-
- severe abdominal pain
- persistent vomiting
- rapid breathing
- bleeding gums
- fatigue
- restlessness
- blood in vomit.
Types of Dengue Virus.
There are four distinct and closely related types of Dengue Virus (DENV) serotypes- (DENV1, DENV2, DENV3, and DENV4). This means that it is possible to be infected four times. Recovery from one infection provides you lifetime immunity against that particular serotype. However, if you get a secondary infection by other serotypes there is a possibility of developing severe dengue.
It is important to get tested for dengue if there are symptoms.
Sources: WHO, CDC