Dengue Fever
Abstract
Dengue fever (DF) is the most common viral disease transmitted by the arthropods.1 Dengue fever manifests as flu like illness affecting all age groups including infants, children and adults. Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is a life threatening complication of dengue characterized by high fever, hemorrhagic phenomena, thrombocytopenia and sometimes circulatory failure.2 Early diagnosis is essential, based mainly on history, physical examination and laboratory investigations. There is mortality rate of 1-5% in untreated cases and in less than 1% with treatment. However with severe disease the mortality rate reaches to 26%.3
Dengue and DHF are fast emerging as a global health problems. 4 Dengue is endemic in more than 110 countries. It affects 50 to 100 million people worldwide a year with half a million hospitalizations and almost 12,500-25,000 deaths.5 The incidence of dengue has increased 30 folds between 1960 and 2010. Factors responsible for dengue’s spread include explosive population growth, unplanned urban overpopulation with inadequate public health systems and poor vector control.
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