National Dengue Day 2023: Did you know that dengue is a virus? Know everything about the disease

May 16 is marked as National Dengue Day every year in India. It is an initiative of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to spread awareness about vector-borne disease and its preventive methods.

Dengue is a viral fever that is spread because of the bite of a female Aedes mosquito. The dengue virus can transmit from an infected person to a healthy person through the Aedes mosquitoes after 4-5 days of the onset of symptoms. The mosquito usually bites during the daylight hours.

Anyone infected with the virus can begin to show symptoms 3-14 days after being bitten by the Aedes mosquito which acts as the carrier of the virus like body rash, severe headache, high fever, vomiting, nausea, aching muscles and joints.

Severe dengue symptoms often come after the fever has gone away and includes severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, rapid breathing, bleeding gums or nose, fatigue, restlessness, blood in vomit or stool, being very thirsty, pale and cold skin and feeling weak as mentioned on World Health Organization (WHO) website.

Precautions against Dengue disease

• Cover all water storage containers with a proper lid.

• Do not let water accumulate at any place in the house.

• Wear clothes that can cover your arms and legs during the rainy season.

• Use mosquito nets if you there are mosquitoes at your home.

• Use mosquito repellents (containing DEET, Picaridin or IR3535), coils and vaporizers according to WHO.

If you get dengue, it’s important to:

• Rest.

• Drink plenty of liquids.

• Use acetaminophen (paracetamol) for pain.

• Avoid non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, like ibuprofen and aspirin.

• Watch for severe symptoms and contact your doctor as soon as possible if you notice any.

• So far one vaccine (Dengvaxia) has been approved and licensed in some countries. However, only persons with evidence of past dengue infection can be protected by this vaccine.