Dengue Fever - Some shit you probably will never hear of again. - General

I figured since someone made a thread about something no one (excluding those who have it) is interested in, I should make my own to top his useless thread with an even more useless thread by being useful and teaching you about a disease you will probably never hear of again. (Granted you do not live in a tropical area or do not go near a tropical area) [quote]Dengue fever, also known as breakbone fever, is an infectious tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic morbilliform skin rash. In a small proportion of cases the disease develops to the life-threatening dengue hemorrhagic fever (bleeding, low levels of blood platelets and blood plasma leakage) and dengue shock syndrome (circulatory failure). Dengue is transmitted by several species of mosquito within the Aedes genus, principally A. aegypti. The virus exists in four 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 is believed to increase the risk of severe complications. As there is no vaccine, prevention is sought by reducing the habitat and the number of mosquitoes and limiting exposure to bites. Treatment of acute dengue is supportive, using either oral or intravenous rehydration for mild or moderate disease, and intravenous fluids and blood transfusion for more severe cases. The incidence of dengue fever has increased dramatically over the last 50 years, with around 50–100 million people infected yearly. Dengue is currently endemic in more than 110 countries. Early descriptions of the condition date from 1779, and its viral cause and the transmission were elucidated in the early 20th century. Dengue has become a worldwide problem since the Second World War.[/quote] - Wikipedia [img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/91/Denguerash.JPG/230px-Denguerash.JPG[/img] In layman's terms, if you get bitten by a mosquito in a tropical area, you are fucked. (I should know, I'm a doctor. :zoid: ) Symptoms: People infected with dengue virus are commonly asymptomatic or only have mild symptoms such as an uncomplicated fever. Others have more severe illness, and in a small proportion it is life-threatening. The incubation period (time between exposure and onset of symptoms) ranges from 3–14 days, but most often it is 4–7 days. This means that travellers returning from endemic areas are unlikely to have dengue if fever or other symptoms start more than 14 days after arriving home. Children often experience symptoms similar to those of the common cold and gastroenteritis (vomiting and diarrhea), but are more susceptible to the severe complications. It appears it cannot be treated once you have it nor any way to prevent it. If you get bitten by a mosquito in a tropical area, all I can say is: Hindenburg, good luck. :buddy: By "Tropical" I mean these places: [img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/49/Dengue06.png/220px-Dengue06.png[/img] [highlight](User was banned for this post ("Why would you make a thread about something you think is useless?" - rilez))[/highlight]

I lived in Ghana and The Philippines for years. We had to worry about Dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases all the time. I still remember having to eat chalky white pills in Ghana, and large billboards displaying the dangers of Dengue in the Philippines.

Are you referring to the tourette's thread? Shame on you!

I live in a tropical country. I fucking grapple with mosquitoes everyday.

Living next to a Swamp in Florida, tropical diseases are the least of my worries.

I've heard of Dengue fever :colbert:

hi guys <wikipedia article> :)

We were always warned about this in school in Costa Rica.