Be infromed, not scared!

Insect repellent lotion and spray, insecticide spray, screened or airconditioned rooms, mosquito nets + iloilo’s food and places could still be a lot of fun!! Check all these information about degue fever.

Aedes Mosquito

The principal mosquito vector, Ae. aegypti, prefers to feed on humans during daytime: in the morning for several hours after daybreak and in the late afternoon for several hours before dark. Nevertheless, the mosquito may feed at any time during the day, especially indoors, in shady areas, or when it is overcast. Studies placed the estimated risk for travelers returning from dengue-endemic areas near one illness per thousand travelers. This estimate may overstate the danger for tourists who may have less contact with the vector when they stay only a few days in air-conditioned hotels with well-kept grounds, or when they participate in outdoor recreational activities where the vector mosquito may be absent (such as sunbathing or playing golf in the middle of the day). Moreover, travelers who stay in the homes of friends and relatives in locations with intense disease transmission may have a higher risk of illness. Therefore, everyone in the (and travelers to) endemic and epidemic areas should take precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

Risk Factors

Current data suggest that co-circulation of all four dengue strains in the same geographic region, virus genotype, and host factors such as immune status (i.e., having had a previous dengue infection), age, and genetic background are the most important risk factors for developing DHF. In Asia, where a high proportion of the population has experienced a dengue infection early in life, DHF is observed most commonly in infants and children younger than 15 years of age who are experiencing a second dengue infection. In the Americas and the Pacific, where primary infection at a young age is less common, DHF is typically observed in older children and adults. Therefore, international travelers from nonendemic areas (such as the United States) are generally at low risk for DHF.

Pregnant Women and Dengue Fever

There is little information in published reports about the consequences of dengue infection for pregnant women. No convincing evidence demonstrating an association between dengue infection during pregnancy and congenital malformations has been reported. However, if the mother is ill with dengue at the time of delivery, the child can be born with dengue infection or can acquire dengue through the delivery process itself, and then develop the manifestations of dengue fever or DHF. Passive transplacental transfer of maternal anti-dengue antibodies acquired from a previous maternal infection can also place infants at greater risk of DHF with their first dengue infection, but these maternal antibodies are cleared by 9-12 months of age.Transfusion-related dengue infection is a theoretical possibility

Sources:photo: AidanJones’ photostream and zenproof flickr.com, Article: CDC