Mosquitoes can be pesky and troublesome during a warm summer night. They usually bite humans and only causes a small rash, however, some can cause a serious infection. Caused by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, dengue fever infects millions worldwide yearly. Dengue fever is usually found in tropical or subtropical environments. Exposure to the infection can result in mild dengue fever or advanced
. cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome.A person becomes infected when an infected mosquito bites them and there is an exchange of blood. Also, people can become infected if there is an exchange of blood with someone who already has the virus. Dengue fever can be treated without hospitalization; however, dengue hemorrhagic fever should be treated in the hospital because of its severity.The pathophysiology of dengue hemorrhagic fever includes the sudden onset of fever, severe headache, myalgias, arthralgias, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia and hemorrhagic manifestations. In some cases people experience shock and hemorrhage, which can be fatal. This disease is caused by any one of the 4 related viruses, which are DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, and DEN-4. These symptoms develop after the incubation period, which is about five to eight days. These symptoms will rapidly appear in the patient. The patient usually suffers a spike of fever during the first 48 to 96 hours. The fever will then subside for a few days but return higher. When this occurs, a rash usually appears over the patient's limbs. Based on the symptoms a doctor can diagnosis the patient and provide adequate treatment. With proper and timely medical treatment the fatality rate is less than 1%. Even with treatment, it may take weeks for a patient to recover fully. When visiting tropical environments, it is recommended to use bug repellent to fend off mosquitoes. For more information on dengue hemorrhagic fever visit: http://wonder.cdc.gov/wonder/prevguid/p0000373/p0000373.asp.More reference links: http://wonder.cdc.gov/wonder/prevguid/p0000373/p0000373.asp http://www.tubbyclub.com/pathophysiology_of_dengue/answers.htm
