6 Facts About Dengue Disease To Share With Your Family and Friends

Here are 6 Facts About Dengue Disease that you might not know in the first place. Do you know that you can get infected up to 4 times in your lifetime

We might have forgotten the insidious dengue disease, but it is always there. So long as mosquitoes are flying around us, we might be exposed to the dreaded dengue disease. I will never forget it as I survived dengue disease 12 years ago. Yes! I was once a victim as well, and I can tell you that whatever I had to endure was nothing short of a nightmarish experience.

Life was turned upside down for my family as I was stuck in the hospital for 5 days. It was a really huge burden for my wife who had just delivered our first baby then. She had to travel to and fro between our home and the hospital to nurse me back to health. At the same time, she had to take up all the load of the housework while taking care of our newly born baby boy and managing an impossible schedule. I wish I was not infected by dengue disease.

Symptoms of Dengue Disease

For those who are green about this, dengue disease is also known as breakbone fever. Based on my own experience, when I was down with dengue, it was a painful ordeal to go through. Perhaps I am making a mountain out of a molehill, but it can be fatal if you were to take dengue disease for granted. The following are some of the facts about dengue disease to educate and share with your loved ones. Help to spread awareness, and who knows, you could save the life of your loved ones.

6 Facts About Dengue Disease To Share With Your Family and Friends

1. Dengue Disease Is NOT Spread Via Human Contact

Apparently, you will only get dengue disease if you are bitten by a mosquito that carries the virus. More precisely, dengue disease is a vector-borne disease. It appears that only the female Aedes mosquitos (Ae. aegypti in Malaysia) can spread the virus via mosquito bites. Yupe! So only certain species of mosquitoes can cause dengue disease. Then again, does this mean we can let our guard down? Of course, no! Let’s always stay vigilant by increasing your knowledge about dengue and helping your loved ones to be more aware.

2. Can Only Be Diagnosed Via Blood Test

I still remember vividly when the doctor told me that I merely had a normal fever. However, my instinct told me otherwise, and I insisted on having a blood test. It turned out that I was really infected by the dengue virus. This goes to show that you need a blood test to get an accurate diagnosis of dengue infection. Period!

3. Dengue Can Be Fatal

I am not trying to be a fearmonger, but if you take dengue disease lightly, in some cases may potentially lead to death. Initially, I was clueless about this particular disease as well. Later, when I was hospitalised, I was terrified to know that a few people had died as their dengue had gotten more severe and had developed into dengue hemorrhagic fever. The good news is, according to WHO, with early intervention and proper medical care, the fatality rate can be reduced to just 1%!

4. You Can Get Infected Up to 4 Times in Your Lifetime!

Yes, you can get infected with dengue more than once! There are four distinct, but closely related, serotypes of dengue virus. They are dengue virus serotype 1 (DENV-1), dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV-2), dengue virus serotype 3 (DENV-3) and dengue virus serotype 4 (DENV-4). After the first infection, you would only develop immunity against one dengue virus serotype but remain vulnerable to the other three serotypes. Subsequent infection by other serotypes increases the risk of developing severe dengue. It is a fact that we can get infected by up to 4 different serotypes of dengue virus in our lifetime. Surprised? I know I was, too, when I learned that there are still 3 different dengue viruses waiting to pounce on me and make me sick. Just when I thought the worst was over. This dreaded discovery has certainly made me warier of those flying mozzies.

5. From Pregnant Mother to Baby

Here's a bummer: Dengue virus can be transmitted from a mother to her unborn baby (foetus). Unfortunately, a pregnant mother infected with the dengue virus can pass on the virus to the little one in her womb or around the time of birth. Dengue can have harmful effects to the foetus, including low birth weight and premature birth. Hence, women who are pregnant or those who plan to conceive a baby should try to ensure there are protective measures in place to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes at all costs during their pregnancy. As a parent myself, the health and safety of our little ones are a priority and I am sure you will feel the same way too.

6. There Is No Cure

We should all bear in mind that there is no cure or specific treatment for dengue infection. Though early intervention and medical care can help to prevent the infection from getting worse, treatment can only relieve the symptoms until the infection is gone. Drinking plenty of water and replenishing our electrolytes will help.

Prevention is Better Than Cure

There you go, folks~ 6 of the most important facts about dengue disease that you might not know about. Knowing that dengue infection can get out of hand, it is wise for us to do our best to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes in the first place. As the saying goes, "prevention is better than cure."

If you have pregnant ladies, children, or even elderlies in your home, make sure you are doing everything in your might to keep those pesky mozzies at bay. Staying indoors has a lesser risk of contracting dengue compared to being outdoor. Make sure to put up mosquito nets, window screens and apply mosquito repellent. Help spread awareness about dengue disease to save your family and friends.

This post is supported by Takeda Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. The views and opinions expressed in this post are personal views of the author. This information is available to the public for information purposes only; it should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. It is not intended to substitute for consultation with a healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider for further advice.