“Dengue Fever: A Global Threat to 3.9 Billion People Across 128 Countries – Symptoms, Causes, and Prevention Tips”

2023-04-27 08:44:39

3.9 billion people in a total of 128 countries are at risk of contracting dengue fever. Breakbone fever is particularly widespread in tropical and subtropical cities in Southeast Asia, South and Central America, the Caribbean and parts of Africa. Typical infection countries include Thailand, India, Indonesia, Cuba, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Mexico and Tanzania. People are infected through mosquito bites. The female Asian tiger mosquito, which is notable for its striped body, and the yellow fever mosquito can transmit the dengue virus. Mosquitoes are diurnal and tend to stay near water. Varnishes, puddles and small water points in flower pots, for example, offer them the perfect breeding ground to deposit their larvae. Once infected, the female mosquito remains infectious for life and can pass the virus on to her brood. In order to reproduce, the insect needs blood, which it gets by biting the skin of a primate or human.

The first signs of illness appear after four to seven days, rarely up to 14 days, after the infectious sting. The symptoms are similar to the flu: those affected complain of fever, headaches, muscle pain and body aches. But bone or joint pain is also a very common accompaniment, which explains the German-language name “bone breaker fever”. In addition, a rash can indicate a disease. “The rash usually begins on the trunk of the body and then spreads to the face and extremities. In the majority of cases, the symptoms subside within a week of the appearance of the exanthem (acute skin rash),” says AGES, describing the symptoms.