By Muhammad Zohaib Faizi
Team Lead
at The Indus Hospital
Dengue is an infectious disease known to exist for around more than 200 years now. Carried through mosquito bites, it causes joint and muscle pain and referred to as “Water Poison” by the Chinese, associating it with flying insects which specially take place in water.
The presence of this disease is indicated and manifests as sudden inception of severe headache, muscle pain, fever and rash. There is a severe dizziness, vomiting blood and bleeding from mucosa and injection sites.
The rash of dengue is usually more bright red and first normally appears in chest and limbs. It is essential to keep a track of the important signs and indications of the disease in first 7 days of the fever. In order to remove dehydration, it is essential to have increased intake of oral fluid. In Dengue fever, platelets start decreasing and below the drop of 20,000 transfusion of platelet might become necessary as there is a danger of bleeding.
WHO research says that dengue virus is actually transmitted to humans through female mosquito bite and it is estimated that currently there are around 50 million dengue infections every year worldwide which is alarming.
It is important to note that aspirin drug is like a poison for dengue patients. It is a blood thinner and if a person takes it during dengue fever, it further thins up the blood where bleeding chances will increase. Fluid intake along with 60mg of paracetamol is recommended three times a day.
Cleaning the environment is the key to avoid dengue fever from spreading. Coming to hospital shall be the last stage; the first stage for every individual is to proactively clean the environment of the home as well as that of the streets. This is a preventive approach rather than a curative approach. According to the medical experts, until and unless we don’t clean up the environment we won’t be able to prevent this disease because mosquitoes take birth in an unclean environment, specially the stagnant water which is a favorite birth place for these mosquitoes. It is also important to take special care during rainy days. There are places inside and outside people’s home where rainy water gets stored providing a best breeding ground for the mosquitoes. It is essential to focus on netting and cover homes and beds with complete netting to avoid mosquitoes entering inside the sleeping area of a person. This needs to be collectively taken care of in Pakistan where rural population is mostly unaware of protective methods.
Back in 2009, Government f Sri Lanka declared to control dengue fever as there national priority. Strict measures were taken to clean up the dengue breeding sites, a heavy mass media campaign was run through media, billboards, newspapers and radio stations to give awareness to the general public and measures also included putting up fine or even jail for neglecting government directions. Affected areas were regularly sprayed and they also stationed police near those dumping areas which were unauthorized. Just in a year’s time, the dengue virus reduced significantly in Sri Lanka and only one death was reported till the end of next year. This is a prime example of overcoming this disease, taking preventive measures will not only help us save precious lives but also it will help in eradicating this disease from the country.
In Pakistan, a national level campaign is yet to be launched. It is now time that government and civil society should work together in eradicating this disease. There is no rocket science as to how it could be done. All it needs is a plan made up with sincerity and commitment.
