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Dengue Fever
This is a viral disease, primarily of the tropics. The viruses that cause it are maintained in a cycle that involves humans and Aedes Aegypti, which is a domestic, day-biting mosquito that prefers to feed on humans.
Dengue is commonly confused with other infectious illnesses such as influenza, measles, malaria, typhoid, leptospirosis, and scarlet fever.
Affected Areas:
The disease is usually found in countries in Latin America, Africa,
and Southeast Asia. The first reported epidemics of the disease occurred
in 1779 – 1780 in Asia, Africa, and North America.
One is infected with the disease with the bite of the Aedes Aegypti, which lives in urban and rural areas throughout the tropics. They also breed in any small collection of standing water. World wide, there is an estimated 50 – 100 million cases of dengue fever. In 1995, there were 250,000 cases of the disease reported in the Americas. There is also between 100 to 200 suspected cases introduced into the united States each year by travelers.
Symptoms:
There are several symptoms which may present themselves if infected.
They include:
- Sudden onset of fever
- Severe headache
- Joint and muscle pain
- Nausea/vomiting
- Rash (may appear 3-4 days after the fever)
The illness may last up to 10 days, but complete recovery can take between 2 and 4 weeks.
Treatment and Prevention:
At the present time, there is no cure for the disease, but medication
is available for relief of several of the symptoms.
Preventative measures for this disease is similar to many others. Currently, there is no vaccine available; however, research is being conducted in order to develop one. Some are predicting that there will not be a vaccine available within the next 5 to 10 years.
Using personal protection (clothing, mosquito repellent, netting, etc.) and traveling during periods of minimal mosquito activity can be helpful. Mosquito abatement programs may reduce the risk of infection, but vaccination is the only sure method of prevention.
The types of diseases vary with each destination. After browsing through this site you may also call or email Travel Health Help for more detailed information: 1-888-621-3952
