Dengue

There has been a new upsurge in the number of dengue cases being seen and we are even seeing some deaths in children related to the disease. This is leading many parents to panic when their child gets a fever.

So, what is dengue? Dengue is an acute febrile illness caused by 4 closely related related virus serotypes and it is transmitted by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. It is commonly called breakbone fever because of the back and muscle aches that normally accompany the fever.
Some other symptoms include chills, loss of appetite and headache. People do not usually die from dengue fever. Management includes fever reducer, (usually paracetamol, as ibuprofen and aspirin tend to worsen the bleeding tendency associated with some infections), lots of fluids and rest.
For a very informative article on dengue, follow this link to Dr Bratt’s article in the Guardian from Tuesday August 26th, 2008