23 Dec Everything You Need to Know about Dengue Fever

Do You Know About Dengue Fever?

Dengue fever has become an increasingly common occurrence, with an estimated 390 million infections occurring worldwide each year. With so many people becoming infected, it is important to know about dengue fever, how the disease is spread, signs and symptoms, as well as how to avoid it. Dengue fever is known for being especially prominent in tropical areas; however, below are some important facts about dengue fever that everyone should be aware of whether you’re planning on traveling or not.

What is Dengue Fever?

Dengue fever, also known as “breakbone fever,” is a mosquito-borne disease that is caused by any four types of viruses that are carried by certain mosquitoes. Dengue fever is transmitted to humans by the bite of a mosquito infected with the dengue virus. If another mosquito bites someone infected with the virus, that mosquito then becomes a carrier of the virus and can infect more people. An important fact about dengue fever is that the virus cannot be spread directly from one person to another.

Most cases of dengue fever occur in tropical areas, such as the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America, Africa, the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia and Southern China. In the United States, most cases are a result of traveling abroad; however, there was an outbreak of dengue fever in 2009 in Key West, Florida, which is the most recent widespread occurrence in the US thus far.

Symptoms of Dengue Fever

Symptoms can begin four to six days after becoming infected with the virus, and they typically last up to ten days. The most common symptoms of dengue fever include high fever, severe headaches, pain behind the eyes, severe joint pain, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, skin rash and easy bruising or mild bleeding (such as a nose bleed). Many symptoms and facts about dengue fever are similar to the flu and are often mistaken as such.

Those who experience symptoms of dengue fever typically experience mild symptoms because most have never experienced the infection before. Those who are infected with the virus a second time, however, are at risk for developing dengue hemorrhagic fever. This is a rare complication of dengue fever that causes damage to blood vessels, enlargement of liver and failure of the circulatory system, which can lead to massive bleeding and shock, otherwise known as dengue shock syndrome (DSS).

Treatment of Dengue Fever

Knowing about dengue fever can help you be aware of the virus; however, there are no specific treatments or vaccines for dengue fever. The best course of action if you believe you have been infected is to take pain relievers containing acetaminophen. Be sure to avoid aspirin as that can worsen bleeding.  Do not wait to see your doctor.

Prevent Dengue Fever with NET effect Roll-On

Since there are no vaccines for dengue fever, the best way to prevent it is to avoid mosquito bites. Protect yourself with a repellent that contains DEET, such as NET effect. DEET was developed by the U.S. Army in 1946 and has been an effective insect repellent ever since. DEET works by interfering with the receptors on mosquitoes so they are unable to sense you and, therefore, are unable to land on and bite you.

NET effect contains twenty percent DEET so you can have long-lasting protection from many types of insects, such as mosquitoes, ticks, biting flies, no-see-ums, chiggers, fleas and gnats. What makes NET effect different is our unique roll-on applicator that is not only less wasteful and safer to apply, it smells great too. Visit our website to shop for your own bottle of NET effect today, and stay protected from dengue fever and other mosquito-borne illnesses!