LET US ASCEND THE WALL AGAINST DENGUE (THE DISEASE OF POVERTY)

Dengue fever is continuous or "saddleback" with a break on 4 th or 5 th day and then recrudescence; usually lasts 7-8 days Classical dengue fever is characterized by the onset of fever, malaise, headache, facial flushing, retro bulbar pain that worsens on eye movements, conjunctival suffusion and severe back ace, which is a prominent symptom. Lymphadenopathy, petechiae on the soft palate and transient morbilliform skin rashes may also appear on the limbs with subsequent spread to involve the trunk Desquamation occurs. Cough is uncommon. Dengue fever syndrome is characterized by capillary leak syndrome, thrombocytopenia, hemorrhage, hypotension, and shock. It is characteristically a disease of children occurring most commonly in South-East Asia. Over 100 million cases occur every year in the tropics with over 10,000 deaths from dengue hemorrhagic fever. Previously, dengue was seen in small children and DHF/DSS in children 2-15 years old, and most frequently in those 16-45 years of age or older in whom severe organ dysfunction is more common. Other epidemiological changes include the spread of dengue into rural communities and greater case fatality in women.