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Written By: Admin | Published : July 5, 2013 12:31 PM IST
Vishwanath Sahu, a 42-year-old resident of Mira Road, became the first official victim of the dreaded dengue virus in the city of Mumbai this monsoon. He was admitted to a hospital on June 30 with high fever and his death certificate said he died of dengue shock system (DSS).
Currently, 14 people are suffering from the debilitating disease in various different city hospitals. Meanwhile, another common communicable disease, swine flu claimed 84 lives till June this year.
What is dengue fever?
Dengue refers to a tropical disease caused by four different types of virus. It is usually transmitted by mosquitoes and the common symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains and skin rash. There is no vaccine for dengue and the only way to reduce infections is to improve hygiene levels so as to prevent mosquito-bites and prevent mosquitoes from breeding. It s particularly difficult to create a vaccine because it s caused by different viruses and there are no animal models available for testing. The disease kills over five thousand Indians every year and is a seasonal threat, particularly during the monsoon seasons.
