With the monsoon season setting in, public health experts and doctors say the number of dengue cases will be on the rise.
“Intermittent rain that causes stagnation of water is the main cause for the disease,” says Sudha Menon, a physician at Fortis Hospital. Dengue is caused by the bite of a species of mosquito called Aedes aegypti. These mosquitoes normally breed in water and are responsible for the spread of the dengue virus.
Two types
Dengue can be of two kinds: dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever. While the former is mild and can be treated for symptoms, the latter is a severe form of the disease and can reduce the level of platelets in blood and may cause internal bleeding, which could later result in multiple organ failure.
Another condition called dengue shock syndrome can lead to extreme drop in blood pressure. Even though monsoon has not set in fully, Dr. Menon says, the hospital sees four to five cases of Dengue every day.
“There is no specific treatment or vaccine for the disease; the patient needs to be treated symptomatically, says public health expert Thriveni B.S.
Awareness needed
Doctors say that although there is no need to panic yet, people need to be sensitised on how to prevent the disease.
“Because most areas do not receive water every day, people store water. Link workers must remind the public to cover stored water and keep their surroundings clean,” says Dr. Thriveni.
