HEALTH ALERT: Dengue Fever Virus

An epidemic of dengue fever in Brazil has been reported by The World Organization of Family Doctors/General Practitioners.

Pronounced: Den-gee

30,000 cases have already been reported this year with 80 new cases reported every hour of every day.

Deaths have totalled "nearly 100" according to Dr. Harold Mandel. Any one of the four dengue viruses ((DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, or DEN-4)) is transmitted via the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which like all mosquitos breeds in puddles of stagnant water.

Disease Current Trends:

Resurgent disease worldwide in the tropics;
Epidemics are larger and more frequent;
Transmission in continental U.S. in 1995; first since 1986;
Since first epidemic in 1981, DHF now reported from 18 countries in the Americas;
Evolution of disease pattern in Americas similar to SE Asia in 1950s and 1960s.

Symptoms:

The symptoms occur around 3 - 14 days after the infected mosquito bite.

Mild fever to incapacitating high fever;
Joint pain;
Severe headache;
Pain behind the eyes;
Muscle and joint pain;
Rash.

Dengue mostly occurs in tropical to sub-tropical urban areas of the world.  The febrile illness infects anyone who comes into contact with it, from infants through to adults.

Like any other virus, there is no cure. All one can do is keep hydrated and attempt to alleviate the symptoms of the infected person. Current medications that are being used are acetylsalicic acid (aspirin) and non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - Ibuprofen is NOT recommended.

A lethal complication is Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever. Worsening symptoms are fever; abdominal pain; vomiting; skin haemorrhages; bleeding nose and/or gums. This lethal complication mostly affects children.

Xinhua is reporting that that infected people are totalling 48,600 - and that's in Rio de Janeiro alone. Brazils Health Ministry is warning that 16 of the country's 27 states are currently at risk in 2009.

Being a virus the risks are many - the scariest risk being that of another possible spread of the outbreak here in the United States and other countries, where infected patients not yet suffering any symptoms, might travel.

In 1995, 250,000 cases of Dengue Fever and Denge Haemorrhagic Fever were reported in the Americas.

In 2001, an outbreak of Dengue was reported in Hawaii, with an estimated 100 million cases reported worldwide each year.

How to avoid Dengue Fever:

Eliminate all signs of stagnant water, such as:
Plastic containers;
55-gallon drums;
Buckets or used automobile tires.

If they are to be left outside or standing for a good reason, then at least cover the containers.

Even pets that are kept outside and whose water bowl is also left outside should be emptied, washed and scoured at least once a week. Such precautions will prevent these mosquitos from laying their eggs.

Sources:

Rio De Janeiro Craig's List
Dengue Fever Alert
Dr. Harold Mandel

Center for Diseases Control (CDC)
Dengue and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever

McClatchy Newspapers
Dengue Fever Outbreak in Rio de Janeiro Claims 80 Lives, Sickens Thousands
by Jack Chang

China Daily
Brazil Warns Possible Outbreak of Dengue in 2009
Xinua

World Health Organization (WHO)
Dengue

Images:

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