Fast Facts on Dengue Fever

Here are some key points about dengue fever. 

• Dengue fever (DF) is caused by any of four closely related viruses, or serotypes: dengue 1-4.
• Dengue is transmitted between people by the mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, which are found throughout the world.
• Around 2.5 billion people, or 40% of the world's population, live in areas where there is a risk of dengue transmission.
• Dengue is endemic in at least 100 countries in Asia, the Pacific, the Americas, Africa, and the Caribbean.
• WHO estimates that 50-100 million infections occur yearly, including 500,000 dengue hemorraghic fever (DHF) cases and 22,000 deaths, mostly among children.
• Most dengue cases in US citizens occur in those inhabitants of Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Samoa and Guam, which are endemic for the virus.
• Symptoms of infection usually begin 4-7 days after the mosquito bite and typically last 3-10 days.
• There is no vaccine available against dengue, and there are no specific medications to treat a dengue infection.
• Prevention the most important step, and prevention means avoiding mosquito bites.
• If a clinical diagnosis is made early, a health care provider can effectively treat DHF using fluid replacement therapy.

source : http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/