The arrival of the monsoon season significantly increases the danger of contracting mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, as the stagnant water becomes a prime breeding ground for Aedes mosquitoes, which are the transmitters of the dengue virus. The global impact of dengue is staggering, with approximately 390 million infections occurring annually and resulting in as many as 36,000 deaths, emphasizing the critical nature of this disease and its prevalence worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.
Dengue fever manifests with symptoms like high fever, severe headache, rash, fatigue, and joint and muscle pain, while its severe form, known as dengue haemorrhagic fever, can be fatal, particularly in children, underlining the importance of safeguarding children against this debilitating illness. Although most individuals with dengue exhibit mild symptoms for one to two weeks, severe dengue necessitates hospitalization, with symptoms appearing 24-48 hours post-fever subsiding and individuals previously infected being at higher risk of experiencing the severe form of the disease.
Severe dengue presents a medical emergency that can lead to shock, internal bleeding, organ failure, and death, with a substantial drop in blood pressure causing shock and reduced platelet counts contributing to internal bleeding, highlighting the urgent need for recognizing the symptoms and seeking immediate medical attention to prevent the disease from becoming life-threatening. Dengue prevention involves managing mosquito populations and averting mosquito bites, with measures like using insect repellents, wearing long-sleeved clothing, and sleeping under mosquito nets being crucial for residents and travelers in dengue-prone locations to reduce transmission.