Download Dengue Fever

Dengue Fever
The island of Jamaica is well known for its rich culture, flavorful foods and lush landscape. Visitors travel
to Jamaica to enjoy the blue waters of the Caribbean Sea, sandy beaches and sunny skies. I was born in
the lovely island of Jamaica. Summer was the best time of the year simply because school was on
summer break. Summer bring all the delicious fruits that a kid would ever want to eat. In addition to our
delicious fruits came the humid weather. As a kid I could recall each evening we would make fire in small
containers with shrubs. These containers would be strategically place in different areas of the house;
bedrooms and other rooms. The smoke from these containers will keep the mosquitoes away. The
smoke from the containers would keep the mosquitoes away.
Climate change affects the occurrence and spread of disease by impacting the population size and range
of hosts and pathogens. Mosquitoes in particular are highly sensitive to temperature. Mosquito and
parasite could survive with sufficient abundance for sustained transmission. Dengue Fever is an
infectious disease that I thought my family would likely get at some point.
Dengue (pronounced den gay) has been a worldwide problem since 1950s in many tropical countries. It
is caused by any one of four related viruses transmitted by mosquitoes. There are not yet any vaccines
to prevent infection with dengue virus and the most effective protective measures are those that avoid
mosquito bites. Once a person is bitten they develop a painful fever that is referred to as dengue fever.
Dengue fever is transmitted through the bite of an aedes aegypti mosquito that is infected. The viruses
are related to the viruses that cause West Niles and yellow fever. People with weakened immune
systems as well as those with a second or subsequent dengue infection are believed to be at greater risk
for developing dengue hemorrhagic fever
Symptoms, which usually begin four to six days after infection and last for up to 10 days, may
include:
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Sudden, high fever
Severe headaches
Pain behind the eyes
Severe joint and muscle pain
Nausea
Vomiting
According to the CDC as many as 100 million people are affected yearly by this infection. It is
also the leading causes of illness in tropics and subtropics countries. Since there are no vaccine
to reduce the risk of getting this disease it is important for everyone especially travelers to take
certain precautions. The most importation precaution is to avoid getting bites. Sleep under a net
that is design to keep mosquitoes out. Windows should have screens to avoid entrance. Wear
protective clothing especially late in the evenings. Remove all containers with standing water
outside; mosquitoes lay their eggs in water. Using mosquito repellant would be an excellent idea,
especially if you are outdoors. These precautions would be helpful to avoid getting mosquito
bites and eventually dengue fever.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention, (2013) Dengue Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/dengue/