DENGUE- PREVENTION
BETTER THAN THE CURE
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. 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.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.
Prof.
John Kurakar
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