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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : October 28, 2014 10:27 AM IST
According to the Delhi municipal health data two people have died of dengue in the national capital and the number of cases has soared to 340. The number of dengue cases were 225 last week. While Mahender Singh, a 48-year-old resident of west Delhi, was the first in the city who died due to dengue, Sureshwar Singh, a 52-year-old resident of Shahdara in east Delhi, succumbed to the vector-borne disease Oct 10. (Read: World Health Day 2014: Dengue prevention 10 tips to stay safe from the disease).
Of the 340 cases, the highest was from South Delhi Municipal Corporation (155), followed by north (68) and east (56). The remaining 23 cases are from the adjoining areas of Delhi. Last year, six people died due to the disease and 5,574 cases were reported. (Read: 7 complications of dengue that you ought to know)
Dengue fever diagnosis factors, tests and cost
Dengue is a mosquito borne viral infection. In simple words, dengue is caused by dengue virus that gains entry into the human body via mosquito bites. Because dengue is a viral disease, there is no definitive drug that can treat it. But the complications of dengue can be prevented well with accurate diagnosis and early detection.
Here s what our experts Dr Pradip Shah, consultant physician, and Dr Bela Sharma, senior consultant, internal medicine, FMRI, had to say about factors involved in diagnosis of dengue, and some commonly used diagnostics tests.
Factors involved in diagnosis of dengue:
Warning signs, duration of the symptoms and appropriate physical examination are main factors involved in dengue diagnosis. Diagnosis of dengue is usually done based on patient s symptoms and physical examination, especially in endemic areas. A probable diagnosis is made on the findings of fever with the following symptoms: nausea and vomiting, rash and generalized pain. Warning signs typically occur before the onset of severe dengue. Diagnosis should be considered in anyone who develops a fever within two weeks of being in the tropics or subtropical region, explains Dr Bela.
Common tests used in dengue diagnosis:
1. Complete Blood Count: Both the experts highlighted low platelet count as an important factor in dengue diagnosis. A complete blood count (CBC) is of significant importance for clinical diagnosis of dengue. If a patient has high fever and is found to have a low platelet count, dengue is suspected , says Dr Pradip. Normal platelet count in a healthy individual is about 2.5 lakh cells/cubic mm.
2. ELISA test for dengue NS1 Ag: Viruses have the tendency to attack platelets and destroy them, thereby lowering the platelet count. But, a low platelet count does not always mean that you are suffering from dengue. Your platelet count can be lowered in any kind of viral infection. That the reason why we need more specific tests to confirm dengue. ELISANS1 Antigen test is a specific test for detecting dengue virus antigen. But this test may show negative results in the early stages of the disease. So the test needs to be repeated on the 2nd ,3rd or 4th day for confirmatory results, explains Dr Pradip. Read more about Dengue fever diagnosis factors, tests and cost.
With inputs from IANS
Source: Getty Images
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