Mosquito Borne Vrus: Dengue

Class: Epidemiology, Year1 Nusring Students

Topic: Dengue Virus

What is dengue?

According to the Center for Disease Control (2019), dengue is a disease caused by any one of four closely related dengue viruses (DENV 1-4). The viruses are transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito specifically the Aedes aegypti mosquito.

Transmission Process:

Dengue Serotypes

DEN-1
DEN-2,
DEN-3,
DEN-4
The above viruses are named "serotypes" due to their unique interactions with the antibodies present in human blood serum. Nature Education (2014) states that the viruses are similar as they share approximately 65% of their genomes. However, within a single serotype, there are genetic variation. Despite these variations, infection with each of the dengue serotypes results in the same disease and range of clinical symptoms (Nature Education, 2014).

Where can outbreak of dengue occur?

Outbreaks of dengue usually occur in areas where Aedes. aegypti (sometimes also Aedes albopictus) mosquitoes live such as tropical urban areas (Center for Disease Control, 2019).

Symptoms of Dengue (Center for Disease Control, 2019):

Primary symptoms of dengue include the following:
-High fever
-Severe headache
-Severe pain behind the eyes→
-Joint pain,
-Muscle and bone pain
-Rash
-Mild bleeding(eg., nose)

Treatment for Dengue:

According to Center for Disease Control (2019), there is no specific medication for treatment of a dengue infection. However, analgesics (pain relievers) with acetaminophen can be used.

Safety Precautions:

-Avoid using medications containing aspirin.-Rest
-Drink plenty of fluids
-Consult a physician

QUESTION: DO YOU THINK THIS MOSQUITO BORNE VIRUS IS ENDEMIC TO OUR COUNTRY? WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD BEST ERADICATE THE OUTBREAKS?

Useful links:

http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/dengue/Denguepublication/en/

https://www.cdc.gov/dengue/clinicallab/casedef.html

https://www.cdc.gov/dengue/resources/DengueDHF-Information-for-Health-Care-Practitioners_2009.pdf

References:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID), Division of Vector-Borne Diseases (2019). Dengue. Retrieve from

https://www.cdc.gov/dengue/index.html

Natutre Educaation (2014). Dengue. Retrieved from https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/dengue-viruses-22400925