Dengue cases continue to rise rapidly in various states in India. West Bengal, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and others have seen a massive surge in the number of dengue cases. India’s total caseload of dengue cases has increased considerably, with West Bengal’s dengue caseload alone stretching to 20,000 by October 1.

Heavy downpours, floods and waterlogging help the mosquito that spreads the disease to breed easily. The deadly viral disease is spread by the female Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquito species, of which the former is more prevalent in India.

According to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 400 million individuals get infected with dengue every year. With one out of four individuals falling sick with the disease, 100 million show symptoms and nearly 22,000 die each year from the disease. The disease is prevalent in areas with a large population of mosquitoes, mainly in the tropics and subtropical regions.

Also Read: Researchers develop special female mosquitoes to control dengue, chikungunya viruses: All you need to know

Symptoms

The symptoms of dengue take anywhere from 4 to 10 days to first appear after being bitten by a mosquito. In most cases, symptoms only last 2-7 days in most cases. After a week, most individuals are able to recover.

However, in about 5 percent of all infections, the disease can result in a severe infection. Pregnant women, children and past patients of dengue are most likely to suffer from severe infections. Severe infections can be deadly as they lead to shock, internal bleeding, and death. Patients need immediate medical attention when presenting with severe dengue symptoms.

In cases of severe infections, symptoms include:

Abdominal pain and tenderness

Excessive vomiting (at least three times in 24 hours)

Bleeding from the nose or gums,

Vomiting blood, or blood in the stool

Fever

Treatment and Cure

There is no specific cure or treatment for the viral disease. Management of the disease is usually done by relieving the symptoms in patients instead. In cases of mild infection, resting, taking paracetamol for pain and fever, and drinking plenty of fluids will be enough for most patients.

In more severe infections, patients should immediately visit their primary care provider or a hospital for proper disease management.

Also Read: How mosquitoes transmit disease, explained

Prevention

While there is a single vaccine against the viral disease, it is only admissible to those in the 9-45 age group, who have already suffered from dengue before. As a result, the best prevention is to prevent the rampant breeding of mosquitoes. Using insecticides, especially bioinsecticides, draining stagnant water, and preventing the pooling of water are the best measures to prevent mosquito breeding.

(Edited by : Priyanka Deshpande)