Buzz
Currently, the increasing number of cases and deaths due to dengue fever has raised concerns, prompting many to pay attention. Understanding the symptoms of dengue fever in adults and children will help you prevent and treat the disease in a timely manner.
What are the symptoms of dengue fever? Is it contagious?
I. What is Dengue Fever?
Dengue fever is an infectious disease caused by the Dengue virus. When mosquitoes, particularly female Aedes mosquitoes, bite, the Dengue virus can easily enter the human body, with an incubation period ranging from 4 to 10 days. Generally, children are more susceptible to this disease than adults.
II. Is Dengue Fever Contagious?
The disease is transmitted through Aedes mosquitoes biting and feeding on the blood of Dengue patients or individuals infected with Dengue virus without symptoms, and then biting healthy individuals, transmitting the Dengue virus to them. Therefore, Dengue fever can easily spread from one person to another.
III. Symptoms of Dengue Fever in Adults and Children
Depending on the stage of the disease and the age group affected, symptoms may vary:
1. In Adults
For adults, there are two main presentations when contracting Dengue fever: Dengue fever with internal organ involvement or Dengue fever with bleeding under the skin.
* Symptoms of Dengue Fever in Adults with Classical Form
- High fever, possibly reaching up to 40.5°C
- Joint and muscle pain
- Nausea, vomiting
- Severe headache
- Pain behind the eyes
- Rash
- Internal organ bleeding (Internal organ bleeding in the digestive system includes symptoms such as headache, mild fever. After 2 days, the patient will pass black, bloody stools, feel exhausted, and develop red spots on the skin. Whereas internal organ bleeding in the brain is very difficult to identify, the patient may only experience headache, fever, half-body paralysis, paralysis of limbs. Subsequently, the patient may become unconscious, leading to death).
* Symptoms of Dengue Shock Syndrome
This condition represents a severe form of the disease, characterized by multiple symptoms such as:
- Bleeding
- Low blood pressure
- Leakage of serum from blood vessels
This condition occurs when the patient has contracted the disease once before, when the body exhibits passive or active immunity to the viral antigen. After 2-5 days of illness, the patient will experience fatigue and worsening symptoms, leading to death.
2. In Infants
For infants, the disease is divided into three stages, and the symptoms of dengue fever in children vary across these stages:
* Onset Stage
Typical symptoms of this stage include fever, leading many parents to mistake it for their child having the flu or a respiratory infection. Alongside fever, the onset stage presents the following symptoms:
- Refusal to breastfeed or eat
- Fatigue
- Nausea, vomiting
- Bleeding gums
- Petechiae on the skin
- Irritability
Some older children may experience eye socket pain, headaches, muscle and joint pain, fatigue. If parents notice bleeding from the hair follicles, they should seek medical attention for their child.
* Critical Stage
Children enter the critical stage of the illness typically from day 3 to day 6, when the white blood cell and platelet count decreases, and the immune system weakens. Therefore, this is a dangerous phase that can lead to death, so parents should seek advice and take precautions. Additionally, common signs of bleeding during this stage include:
- Blood pressure drop
- Blood in urine
- Severe bleeding
- Lung fluid leakage causing abdominal swelling
- Cold extremities and head
- Nosebleeds
* Recovery Stage
When children receive timely care and treatment, the signs of this recovery stage of the illness are:
- Fever reduction
- Feeling thirsty, appetite returning
- Increased platelet and white blood cell count (confirmed by testing)
Just after 2-3 days of treatment, the child will recover from the critical stage.
IV. Causes of Dengue Fever
The Dengue fever-transmitting mosquito is called Aedes, characterized by its black color with white spots on its legs and body, often referred to as the tiger mosquito. When this mosquito bites a person infected with the Dengue virus, it becomes infected itself. Subsequently, the virus develops within the mosquito and after about a week, it is transmitted to its saliva glands. From there, when the mosquito bites another person, it rapidly spreads the disease.
Notably, once a mosquito is infected with this contagious virus, it can remain a carrier for life, capable of transmitting the disease to many individuals. Moreover, mosquito eggs can withstand dry conditions and hatch into larvae. This explains why cases of Dengue fever persist every year.
VII. When do mosquitoes transmit dengue fever?
- The tiger mosquito primarily bites during the day, contrary to common belief. They are most active in the early morning and late afternoon. If not satiated with blood, these mosquitoes may bite multiple times.
Mosquitoes reside in the dark corners of houses, preferring to lay eggs in stagnant water, thriving during the rainy season with temperatures around 20 degrees Celsius. Hence, Dengue fever tends to escalate and spread easily in the months of July, August, September, and October.
Disease-transmitting mosquitoes often deposit their eggs in clean water containers such as discarded buckets, tires, flower pots, and ponds. Consequently, areas with a habit of storing clean water become hotspots for Dengue fever outbreaks, facilitating its rapid and convenient spread.
VIII. How many times can Dengue fever be contracted in a lifetime?
Unlike other contagious diseases like chickenpox or measles, Dengue fever can be contracted up to 4 times in a lifetime, with patients susceptible to reinfection, often with more severe symptoms. Therefore, individuals are at risk of contracting Dengue fever up to 3 more times after the initial infection.
The reason for the sudden onset of Dengue fever is when a person contracts a different serotype of the virus for the second time. The presence of antibodies from two virus serotypes in the body exacerbates the illness, leading to various reactions such as shock, increased blood viscosity, vascular collapse, and more.
IX. How long does Dengue fever last?
Similar to diseases like chickenpox and measles, Dengue fever typically incubates within the body for 3 to 14 days before manifesting outward symptoms. The incubation period begins 4 to 7 days after being bitten by a mosquito carrying the dengue virus.
The duration of the incubation period varies depending on individual health, immune response, and constitution. However, during this period, there are usually no signs or symptoms of the illness. After the incubation period, the disease emerges and lasts for 7 to 10 days, progressing through several stages.
- Fever stage: lasts approximately 3 days, but for some individuals, it may extend up to 7 days.
- Critical stage: Lasts for about 3-4 days, typically occurring from the 4th to the 7th day after the onset of fever.
- Recovery stage: Lasts for 1 - 2 days or 2 - 3 days.
Thus, from the onset of illness and high fever, you will gradually recover over a period of 7 - 10 days.
X. Dengue Fever Prevention
To prevent Dengue fever in both children and adults, you should take the following measures:
