What is Dengue?
- Dengue is a viral disease.
- Dengue is transmitted by the bite of Aedes mosquito.
- The mosquito bites in day time.
- Man develops the disease after 5-6 days of being bitten by an infective mosquito.
Dengue occurs in two forms:
-Dengue Fever (DF) & Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF)
Signs & Symptoms of Dengue Fever:
- Sudden onset of high fever.
- Severe headache.
- Pain behind the eyes which worsens with eye movement.
- Muscle & joint pains.
- Loss of sense of taste & appetite.
- Measles like rash over the chest & upper limbs.
Age Group & Sex Affected:
- All age groups & both sex are affected.
- Deaths occur more in children.
Transmission from One Person to Another:
- Dengue fever is caused by the bite of Aedes mosquito.
- When the mosquito bites a person with Dengue fever, it picks up the germs of the disease along with the blood.
- This germ known as dengue virus develops within the mosquito in a few days.
- When this mosquito again bites a healthy person, it introduces the germs into the blood.
- After a few days the person becomes sick with high fever and other symptoms of dengue.
Breeding Places:
- Aedes mosquito breed in any type of manmade containers or water storage containers even having small quality of water like desert coolers, water storage containers, tyres, overhead tanks, drums, jar, buckets, flower vases, plant saucers, tanks, bottles, tin, roof gutters, refrigerator drip pans, cement blocks, cemetery urns, bamboo stumps, tree holes and many more places where rain water collects or is stored.
- Eggs of mosquito can live without water for more than 1year.
Preventive & Control Measures:
- All water storage containers should be covered.
- Remove/ destroy all disposable, unused materials lying in and around the house, like old tyres, broken pots, crockery etc.
- Dry all water storage utensils, water coolers, flower vases, water vessels for birds and animals, fridge trays at least once a week before re-filling.
- Fill up the ditches and other unwanted water collection sites around the houses.
- Put insecticides, petrol, k. oil, in coolers, containers etc once a week, which cannot be emptied or cleaned.
If there is any suspected case which matches the signs and symptoms described above, contact the nearest hospital. Facility for testing is available for free at District Hospital, Dimapur.
Dr. Avino Metha
Joint Director & SPO
National Vector Borne Disease Control Program (NVBDCP)
Directorate of Health and Family Welfare
