National Dengue Awareness Month in the Philippines: Officials debunk myths
June is National Dengue Awareness Month in the Philippines and officials with the Department of Health corrected eight misconceptions about dengue this week below:
Individuals who have had dengue before will not get it again.
DOH Central Luzon Center for Health Development entomologist Jeffrey De Guzman said that dengue has four serotypes. “Once a person has had dengue of one serotype, they will not get dengue from that type again. However, they can still get dengue from other types,” De Guzman stated.
Dengue is contagious person to person
De Guzman stressed that it is unnecessary to avoid people with dengue.
“Dengue is only transmitted through the bite of an infected female Aedes mosquito. Sneezing, saliva, or other secretions of an infected person are not contagious,” he clarified.
Dengue mosquitoes only bite at night
Contrary to this, De Guzman emphasized that mosquitoes carrying dengue often bite from sunrise to sunset; hence, they are called “day biters”.
Dengue mosquitoes only lay eggs in dirty water
“Mosquitoes carrying dengue can lay eggs in stagnant or still water, even if it is clean and clear,” De Guzman said.
All mosquitoes carry the dengue virus
DOH pressed that not all mosquitoes carry the dengue virus.
“Only the Aedes mosquito carries the dengue virus. But it does not mean that everyone can be complacent. Other types of mosquitoes can cause other diseases like malaria,” De Guzman underscored.
The Tawa-tawa plant is an effective remedy for dengue
“Tawa-tawa or Gatas-gatas has not yet been proven to cure dengue. For now, Tawa-tawa is only registered as a supplement. Further studies are needed to see the effect of Tawa-tawa against dengue,” De Guzman said.
Dengue is treated with antibiotics
De Guzman pointed out that dengue is caused by a virus; therefore, antibiotics, which are for bacteria, are not needed.
“Currently, there is no medicine for dengue. Hydration or sufficient water intake is the primary management for this disease,” he explained.
Dengue lasts for weeks to months
“Like other viral infections, it can heal within a few days. However, the illness can last or extend for several weeks if there are complications,” De Guzman noted.
From January1 to May 25 this year, 67,874 total dengue cases have been reported in the country, including 189 deaths.
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He also reiterated that dengue can pose serious health risks, potentially leading to complications that can be fatal.
Hence, it is encouraged to immediately consult the nearest healthcare providers when symptoms of dengue such as sudden fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, and muscle and joint pains occur.
Dengue is a viral infection transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito. There are four closely related but antigenically different serotypes of the virus that can cause dengue (DEN1, DEN 2, DEN 3, DEN 4).
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Dengue Fever (DF) – marked by an onset of sudden high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, and pain in muscles and joints. Some may also have a rash and varying degree of bleeding from various parts of the body (including nose, mouth and gums or skin bruising).Dengue has a wide spectrum of infection outcome (asymptomatic to symptomatic). Symptomatic illness can vary from dengue fever (DF) to the more serious dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF).
Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) – is a more severe form, seen only in a small proportion of those infected. DHF is a stereotypic illness characterized by 3 phases; febrile phase with high continuous fever usually lasting for less than 7 days; critical phase (plasma leaking) lasting 1-2 days usually apparent when fever comes down, leading to shock if not detected and treated early; convalescence phase lasting 2-5 days with improvement of appetite, bradycardia (slow heart rate), convalescent rash (white patches in red background), often accompanied by generalized itching (more intense in palms and soles), and diuresis (increase urine output).
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Dengue Shock Syndrome (DSS) — Shock syndrome is a dangerous complication of dengue infection and is associated with high mortality. Severe dengue occurs as a result of secondary infection with a different virus serotype. Increased vascular permeability, together with myocardial dysfunction and dehydration, contribute to the development of shock, with resultant multiorgan failure.