Dengue kills

Philippines, being a tropical country, and being one of the progressive countries developing in Southeast Asia is accustomed to frequent weather climate changes. The conclusion of the dry season and the emergent monsoon season is about to bring another health-related issue. The most common and one of the deadliest illnesses…Dengue.

It has been one of the major concerns in the country especially during rainy season. As early as 1926, several outbreaks have been reported and the first recorded epidemic in Southeast Asia was in Manila in 1954.

Dengue is caused by a mosquito-borne virus named Aedes aegypti. It thrives easily and breeds on clean, stagnant, open water containers which they can survive all year round. It has been noted that these mosquitoes are day biting meaning they strike to feed (only the females!) on human blood at least two to three hours after sunrise and several hours before sunset. One astounding characteristics of this mosquito is that they have ‘low-flying capabilities’ capable of biting only the feet and legs of individuals. With that, they can easily target children ages 3-10 years old who are their frequent victims.

So, being suspicious of having been bitten by the mosquito, a ‘low-grade’ on and off fever for 3-5 days duration with associated headache, body/muscle pains, abdominal pain and spontaneous bleeding warrants investigation. Do not hesitate to submit yourself for a blood workup. Remember, viral infections including the deadly dengue virus does not have any cure at all. Early detection and prompt treatment of symptoms will significantly prevent deaths in the end.