Dengue Fever Awareness

While the world is dealing with a pandemic, mosquito season has come around again, bringing with it the risk of Dengue. To protect ourselves against Dengue, it is essential to understand the disease.

Dengue facts

• Dengue fever is a disease caused by a family of viruses transmitted by the Aedes mosquitoes.
• More than 67000 people a year across India are diagnosed with dengue fever every year.

Causes of Dengue fever

When a mosquito bites a person infected with a dengue virus, the virus enters the mosquito. Then, when the infected mosquito bites another person, the virus enters that person's bloodstream and causes an infection.

Symptoms

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Rash
• Aches and pains
• Eye pain, typically behind the eyes
• Bone pain
• Fever

Symptoms of Dengue typically last 2–7 days. Most people will recover after about a week.

The Dengue mosquito

The mosquito that spreads Dengue, Aedes aegypti, can be recognized by white markings on its legs and a marking on its thorax's upper surface. Both males and females have antennae. The mosquito with the shorter antenna is the female mosquito, which is the one that spreads the dengue virus. These mosquitoes are most active during the day. They breed in stagnant water.

Preventative measure against Dengue

• Use insect repellent in your surroundings
• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants at home and outside
• Use mosquito meshing to prevent mosquitoes in your home
• Makes sure there are no stagnant water bodies around your house

With preventative action, you can get through the mosquito season without a problem.