DENGUE AS A BURNING ISSUE

Only the female of Aedes aegypti feeds on blood because of protein requirement found in human blood to produce eggs while male mosquito feeds on plant nectar. On average a Dengue fever also known as break bone fever. It is an infectious tropical disease caused by dengue virus. The mosquito responsible for dengue is Aedes aegypti including most species of mosquito. Dengue Fever (DF) and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) are the most common mosquito borne viral disease in the world. It can be fatal. It has one distinct feature physically having black and white strips on its body and legs. The mosquito bites during the day and lays its eggs in clean and stagnant water.          

Female mosquito can lay eggs up to300 during its life span of 14-21 days.

Transmission of disease:

Mosquito bites and sucks blood containing the virus from an infected person and then transmits into a healthy one on biting. So, we can say that it acts as a vector for transmission.

BIOLOGY:

There are four types of dengue virus known as serotypes referred as DENV-1,DENV-2,DENV-3 and DENV-4.Dengue virus genome contains about 11,ooo nucleotide bases that code for 3 three different types of protein molecules(C,prM and E)

Symptoms:

1. High fever up to 105 F.

2. Headache

3. Muscle and joint pains

4. Skin rashes similar to measles

5. Bleeding from the nose and mouth.

It is an RNA virus of the family Flaviviridae and genus Flavivirus.

PREVENTIONS:

No specific vaccine is introduced yet.

Bed rest and hydration therapy.

Aspirin should be avoided because of anticoagulant properties.

Use of insecticides indoor.

Cover all toilet bowls in your home.

Turn over all water storage containers

The patient should consult the doctor as soon as possible and make laboratory tests not more than 90 rupees of tests.

CONCLUSION:

It has become an endemic disease causing a serious threat leading to death in severe cases. Now a day in Punjab due to steps being taken by the Government it has been overcome while last years there were a lot of cases in Punjab and worldwide. So, it needs preventions and precautions made by public and Government, There should be a proper awareness among people either through mass media or print media and also by the extension workers.

By;

Syed Hassan Zerain Naqvi

Dept. Of Entomology

UCA, UOS