Dengue
Around 3.9 billion people, in 128 countries, are at risk of having dengue fever, says WHO. It is a mosquito-borne disease that is known to causes flu-like illness. Mostly prevalent in tropical and sub-tropical climates, this infection is transmitted by female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Risk of dengue fever varies based on rainfall, temperature and unplanned rapid urbanization. Right now, Nepal’s capital city, Kathmandu is at an increased risk of dengue outbreak as the monsoon season is about to come. This disease was recognized for the first time in the year 1950s during epidemics in the Philippines and Thailand. If you have dengue fever, you will experience symptoms like muscle pain, headches, fever, swollen lymph nodes, rashes, exhaustion etc. Though, this infection can affect anyone, those with weak immune system are at increased risk of developing it. Also known as ‘backbone fever’, dengue is one of the most severe form of viral illness. The incubation period for this disease is usually 5 to 8 days after being bitten by a mosquito carrying the virus. Notably, there is no specific treatment for this infection, antiviral drugs are prescribed only to provide relief from the signs and symptoms. Here, we tell you about how dengue fever is diagnosed.