Dengue Fever Outbreak: Awareness, Symptoms & Prevention Tips

The National Capital, New Delhi has reported nearly 170 dengue cases till July 30, and this is also the highest since 2017, as per a civic body that released the data on Monday. Moreover, at least 26 more cases of the dengue has been recorded in July, the civic body said. According to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the city has recorded over 23 dengue cases for the month of January, 16 in February, 22 in March, 20 in April, 30 in May, and 32 in June. Back in 2017, Delhi had reported 185 cases of Dengue during 1st January to 30th July. And the good news is that no deaths have been reported this year due to Dengue. New Delhi has further reoprted 33 cases of Malaria, and 9 cases of Chikungunya, so far this year.

Epidemic dengue outbreak news is around the corner. As some Indian states and other countries reported dengue fever cases & respective departments issuing advisory proactively. So, its high time to aware others towards dengue fever causes, symptoms, precautions, treatment and alternate home remedies etc.  

In 2016, around 216 people lost their lives to this deadly disease, which brought the need of dengue vaccine in India. India is likely to get dengue vaccine by the end of 2019 and as per reports, Pharmaceutical giant Panacea Biotec has secured permissions to conduct a clinical trial in the country after the Drug Controller General of India permitted it to test the viability. This vaccination aims to offer dengue fever protection to the masses.

Dengue Outbreak Facts as Per World Health Organization (WHO)

Global incidence of dengue has drastically hyped in the last couple years. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are about 390 million cases of dengue fever worldwide, and of the total number of cases, 96 million require medical treatment. India also saw a doubling up of cases of dengue from 2014 to 2015 and the worst hit city was Delhi with over 1800 cases of the fever. The National Dengue survey by government conducted in 2016 reported 1,11,000 cases, out of which, 227 people lost their lives to the mosquito borne disease across India. 

Dengue is a common viral disease, which is spread through mosquito bite. It is transmitted through a mosquito called Aedes Aegypti and occurs in two forms. The first type is Classical Dengue fever, which is also known as break bone fever due to the severe pain it causes in the patient’s joints. The second type is Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever which is not only painful but also fatal as it results in abnormal bleeding from nose, gums or as blood in urine. Dengue is considered an epidemic in more than 100 countries, which fall in the WHO regions of Africa, America, the Eastern Mediterranean, South-East Asia and the Western Pacific. Cases of dengue usually rise during the monsoon period. In the year 2015, according to National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) maximum number of cases were reported from Delhi followed by Punjab, Gujarat, West Bengal, Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Orrisa, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Telangana and other states.

Dengue Prevention & Control Programme

Dengue prevention and control isn’t just the responsibility of the government, but of every citizen of this country. Dengue Day in India is observed on 16th May by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. The aim of National Dengue Prevention Day in India is to control this disease by creating awareness and initiating prevention steps.

In the beginning, Dengue outbreaks were reported from urban and peri urban areas. But during last three years, dengue outbreaks are being reported from rural area also. Hence, separate Dengue Control Programme is proposed and is under consideration at National level, which has the objectives of reducing morbidity and mortality due to dengue by at least 50% in the next 5 years. All Government Hospitals have been instructed to provide free treatment and laboratory facilities to the suspected dengue patients. Treatment of dengue is made available at all Government hospitals at taluka and district level and medical college hospitals. Involvement and co-operation of other related sectors is obtained through the Umbrella Societies at District levels.

You Need to Know About Dengue To Care Your Child

Transmitted through mosquito bite, the symptoms of dengue fever include severe joint pain, muscle pain, swollen lymph nodes, headache, fever, exhaustion and rash. This phase of pain and fever lasts for about one to two weeks. Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is a specific syndrome that tends to affect children under 10 years of age. This complication of dengue causes abdominal pain, haemorrhage (bleeding), and circulatory collapse.

Also Read: How to Cure Dengue Fever in Children

How to Control Dengue

Dengue doesn’t spread from one person to the other, which is why you can prevent this disease by keeping your surroundings clean and wearing protective clothing. Mosquitoes are active between August to October, which also happen to be monsoon months. The puddles of water formed around our houses, makes a perfect breeding place for the mosquitoes. You can reduce their habitat by clearing the water from your surroundings and use natural repellents like Lemon Eucalyptus Oil, Lavender, Neem Oil and Cinnamon Oil to protect yourself against mosquito bites.

You can seek dengue fever protection by following the below mentioned steps-

1. Apply mosquito repellent on the exposed parts of your body, while not applying on open wounds or cuts, the area near eyes and mouth.

2. Wear clothing, which will offer you complete protection from mosquito bites, such as long sleeves and full pants. Also, avoid wearing dark and tight clothing.

3. Use mosquito nets while sleeping.

4. Keep your house and the nearby area clean, by not allowing any stagnant water to collect.  

By keeping up with these ways, you can prevent yourself and your family from dengue. But in case of an emergency, do seek instant medical intervention.