All About Dengue Fever

mosquito control
Image courtesy of Alvesgaspar CC by 3.0 SA

Dengue fever is a serious illness that is spread by mosquitoes. It can have outbreaks and they are more common in certain parts of the world, where it is warmer throughout parts of Africa, Central and South American, India and Southern Asia. If you are traveling outside of the United States, you should be aware of any possible outbreaks and check with the state department’s website to see if there any precautions you need to take before traveling.

Symptoms of Dengue Fever

Dengue fever starts out as a fever that will last from two to seven days. You may also have joint pain, pain behind your eyes, as well as muscle or bone pain. There may be signs of easy bruising, bleeding gums or a bloody nose or petechiae (small pinprick bruises) and a possible rash. The real issues with the disease will happen after the fever drops. If you experience any of these symptoms, you need to go to the emergency room. There may be vomiting or severe abdominal pain, red spots, bleeding from the gums or nose, difficulty breathing, drowsiness, or clammy skin.

Treatment from Dengue Fever

There is no specific treatment for people with dengue fever. If you develop the complications, doctors will monitor you and try to treat symptoms. It is important to avoid taking ibuprofen or other medications that can make bleeding easier like aspirin. The best pain medication to take while fighting off dengue fever is acetaminophen. The key is to monitor the illness as it progresses so that you can seek emergency medical care if necessary.

Protecting Yourself from Dengue Fever

When traveling to parts of the world that are prone to dengue fever, you should protect yourself by wearing mosquito repellent. Be aware of any travel restrictions due to an active outbreak. If you a family member or friends ends up coming back to the United States with it, you should take precautions against being bitten to prevent a possible outbreak and to prevent the disease from spreading to your family member.

Controlling the Mosquito Population

It is important to take steps to control the mosquito population around the property. You can take the steps to do this by addressing standing water around your home. You can also have yard treatments done by a professional that will eliminate adult mosquitoes and stop new ones from breeding. These steps can protect you and your family from a number of different mosquito-borne illnesses.

5 Mosquito Borne Illnesses

mosquito diseasesMosquitoes are known carriers for several different diseases. The diseases can be spread be spread by the mosquito biting someone who is infected and then biting a new victim with a virus or by carrying a parasite. It is important to understand the different diseases that mosquitoes cause so that you can recognize the symptoms and seek medical attention when necessary.

1. Malaria

A malaria infection is caused by parasitic protozoan. Usually symptoms appear between ten to fifteen days of being bitten. The symptoms include fatigue, vomiting, headaches and fever. It is important to seek treatment because a reinfection can occur several months later. Additionally, this may be fatal in small children and vulnerable populations. There is not a vaccine for the disease, but the treatments are very effective. It is most prevalent in the sub tropic regions.

2. West Nile Virus

The West Nile virus is usually passed between birds, but mosquitoes can pass it onto humans as well. About eighty percent of people who are infected will not have any symptoms of the disease. Common symptoms include a fever, achy body and headache. There is no treatment for the virus, instead the medical professionals will treat to lessen the symptoms. Complications can occur in about 1 out of 150 people who are infected and this can turn into encephalitis.

3. Chikungunya

Chikungunya is a viral infection. The symptoms include a rash, joint pain and a high fever, as well as headache and tiredness. The disease starts with the fever that may last several days. It may be intermittent. The joint pain will usually begin after the fever and be severe enough that you can no longer use that joint comfortably. It can take years for the joints to fully recover. This is found primarily in Africa and southeast Asia though cases have appeared in South America as well sin the United States.

4. Yellow Fever

Yellow fever is a virus spread by mosquitoes. Most people develop a mild case which includes the symptoms of fever, headache, back pain and tiredness. Vomiting and nausea may also occur. Generally, symptoms can last up to four days. The second stage happens in about fifteen percent of patients. However, it is estimated that nearly half of those that move onto the second phase of infection die. This phase includes liver damage and signs of it are jaundice and bloody vomit. Most of the cases are in Africa. There is a vaccine for this disease.

5. Saint Louis Encephalitis

Saint Louis Encephalitis occurs primarily in the United States. It generally has mild symptoms including a fever and a headache. However, if the case is severe it can cause neck stiffness, coma, tremor and convulsions. It can be fatal in up to one third of the patients. The likelihood of fatality increases in the elderly.

The best way to prevent all of these illnesses is through effective mosquito control. There are options that can prevent mosquitoes from living on your property. Contact Mosquito Tek to learn more about these options.

Learn more about mosquito extermination from Mosquito Tek.