Dengue Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Platelets Count & Recovery

According to the World Health Organization(WHO), dengue affects more than 3.9 crore people each year in the world. In India, the number of dengue cases has increased by more than 30% (year over year) as a result of variables like deteriorating urban sanitation, a rapidly growing population, and changes in rainfall, humidity, and temperature. Here is all the information you require regarding this illness.

Symptoms

Any of the following signs and symptoms are brought on by dengue fever:

  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Enlarged glands
  • Joint, muscle, or bone pain
  • Vomiting
  • Rash
  • Back of the my eyes hurt

Most folks get better in about a week. In some cases, symptoms could worsen or even prove fatal. It is also known as dengue shock syndrome, severe dengue, or dengue hemorrhagic fever.

Your blood vessels become damaged and begin to leak if you have acute dengue. Your blood’s platelet count also decreases. Shock, internal bleeding, organ failure, and even death could result from this.

Severe dengue fever warning signs, which are an emergency posing a threat to life, can develop quickly. The following warning signs, which could manifest during the first two days after your fever has decreased, include:

  • A terrible tummy ache
  • Bleeding from the nose or gums
  • Continual vomiting
  • Under-the-skin bleeding that may resemble bruises
  • Fatigue
  • Easily irritated or restless
  • Having blood in your feces, urine, or vomit
  • Fast or difficult breathing

Cause of Dengue

The DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4 viruses are the four that cause dengue fever. The virus is transferred to the mosquito when it bites a person who has the disease. When a healthy individual is bitten, the virus enters their bloodstream and transmits the illness.

A person becomes immune to one virus after recovering from it, but not to the other three. You are more likely to develop severe dengue fever, also known as dengue hemorrhagic fever if you get dengue fever for the second, third, or fourth time.

Treatment of Dengue Fever Using Vaccine

The first dengue vaccine, Dengvaxia (CYD-TDV), was created by Sanofi Pasteur and was approved by regulatory agencies in 20 nations in December 2015.

The outcomes of an extra examination to ascertain serostatus at the time of immunization were made public in November 2017. In comparison to study participants who were unvaccinated, the subgroup of study participants who were inferred to be seronegative at the initial vaccination had a greater risk of more severe dengue and hospitalization from dengue.

The vaccine is therefore meant for people aged 9 to 45 who reside in dengue-endemic areas and have already had at least one confirmed dengue virus infection.

Prevention

Vaccine

In areas of the world where dengue fever is common in people aged 9 to 45 who have had at least one prior case, one dengue fever vaccine (Dengvaxia) is approved for use.

The immunization requires three doses spread out over the course of a year. Only those with a history of dengue illness or seropositivity, a blood test that reveals a prior infection with one of the dengue viruses, are eligible for the vaccination.

Receiving the vaccine appears to raise the chance of developing a severe case of dengue fever and being admitted to the hospital as a result of dengue fever in future seronegative individuals.

Avoid Mosquito bites

In countries where the virus is common, immunization can help prevent dengue fever, but it is useless on its own, according to the World Health Organization.

Avoiding mosquito bites and controlling the mosquito population are the main methods for halting the spread of the dengue virus.

If you live in or visit a place where dengue fever is common, following these suggestions may help reduce your risk of mosquito bites:

  1. Stay in air-conditioned or well-screened lodgings. The dengue-carrying mosquitoes are most active between dawn and dark, despite the fact that they can bite at night.
  2. Don safety equipment. When going into places with a lot of mosquitoes, wear long sleeves, long pants, socks, and shoes.
  3. Put on some bug repellent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How long does it take for a dengue patient’s platelet count to recover?

Ans. In primary and secondary infections, the average spontaneous platelet recovery time was 3 2.6 days and 3 1.87 days, respectively. Early recovery time was associated with a higher platelet count at presentation (p=0.033).

Q2. How many platelets do they produce each day?

Ans. Adults typically receive a pool of 6 whole blood-derived (also known as the random donor) platelets or 1 apheresis platelet every dose. In a patient weighing 70 kg, this is anticipated to increase the platelet count by 30,000–60,000/uL.

Q3. Are platelets increased by coconut water?

Ans. Results showed that coconut water had a positive impact on important hematological parameters such as red blood cells and hemoglobin. With a reduction in bleeding time and an increase in clotting time caused by coconut water, the coagulation profile showed a significant rise in platelets and fibrinogen levels.

Conclusion

The loss of blood plasma from capillaries is the most common sign of severe dengue. The critical phase, which lasts for 24 to 48 hours after the patient’s fever has subsided, is when this leakage happens.

As their fever decreases, dengue fever patients recover. Patients with severe dengue, however, suffer. If plasma exits the circulatory system in people with severe dengue fever, fluids may accumulate in body cavities.

Checking for abnormally low protein levels in the blood and a higher-than-normal level of red blood cells are two ways to identify plasma leakage.

Excessive bleeding is another indication of acute dengue. The stomach and intestines are both affected by irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

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