Essay about Dengue Fever

Submitted By amberapp1234
Words: 612
Pages: 3

Running head: DENGUE FEVER 1

Dengue Fever South Mountain Community College

DENGUE FEVER 2 Abstract
The disease Dengue fever is caused by a family of viruses that are transmitted by Aedes mosquitos of the family Flaviviridae and is the the most common arboviral illness transmitted worldwide. It is a sudden onset acute illness that usually follows a benign course with some symptoms. Dengue can affect anyone but it tends to be more severe in immunocompromised people. Dengue is also referred to as “breakbone” or “dandy fever.” The dengue virus transmission follows two general patterns, epidemic dengue and hyperendemic dengue. Initial infection may be asymptomatic and result in a nonspecific febrile illness, or it may produce more common symptoms associated with the disease.

DENGUE FEVER 3 Dengue Fever
Dengue is a mosquito borne infection that in recent years has become an international concern. It occurs in most tropical and subtropical areas of the world, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas, although in 2009 Florida had a case, the first in 40 years. ("Dengue and dengue," 2009)Dengue is widespread in regions of Central and South America and South and South-East Asia as well as in Africa. Dengue fever is spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito, particularly Aedes aegpyti. (Cunha, 2011)
Mosquitoes that carry dengue virus breed in standing water that is often found near inhabited areas. They generally bite humans during the daytime. The virus is not contagious. For a person to be infected, they need to be bitten by a striped female Aedes aegpyti mosquito that has bitten an infected person. It only takes one bite from the infected mosquito to cause the disease. Once bitten, the virus takes three to fifteen days to incubate before the signs and symptoms appear, mostly flu-like. Most commonly called the “dengue triad,” a fever, rash, and headache is characteristic of the virus, with the rash spreading from the extremities to cover the entire body except the face. (Cunha, 2011) The acute phase of the virus lasts about one to two weeks. There is no specific medicine or antibiotic to treat it, the relief of the symptoms is the primary concern. Dengue virus transmission follows two general patterns—epidemic dengue and hyperendemic dengue. Epidemic dengue transmission occurs when dengue virus is introduced
DENGUE FEVER 4 into a region as an isolated event that involves a single viral strain. Mosquito-control efforts, changes in weather, and herd immunity contribute to the control of these epidemics.
Hyperendemic dengue transmission is characterized by the continuous