Dimapur, May 14: The Government of India has declared May 16 as National Dengue Day, a day to mark the toll the deadly disease has been taking in terms of lives and to reaffirm nationwide efforts to tackle the scourge by using both education and medical intervention.
“Dengue disease burden has shown an increase in recent years in the country and in Nagaland with more frequency of outbreaks during the monsoon and post monsoon season,” the Nagaland Health & Family Welfare department stated on Saturday. The department submitted an article outlining basic facts about Dengue.
“In absence of any specific drug and vaccine for dengue, prevention and control exclusively depends on vector control to minimize the risk of transmission.”
Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms typically begin three to fourteen days after infection.
This may include a high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash. Recovery generally takes less than two to seven days.
In a small proportion of cases, the disease develops into the life-threatening dengue hemorrhagic fever, resulting in bleeding, low levels of blood platelets and blood plasma leakage, or into dengue shock syndrome, where dangerously low blood pressure occurs.
Dengue is spread by several species of mosquito of the Aedes type, principally A. aegypti. The virus has five different types; infection with one type usually gives lifelong immunity to that type, but only short-term immunity to the others. Subsequent infection with a different type increases the risk of severe complications.
A number of tests are available to confirm the diagnosis including detecting antibodies to the virus or its RNA.