26th august: International Dengue Day

Every August 26, the «International Dengue Day» is commemorated to raise awareness about this disease and to promote control and prevention actions.

Dengue is transmitted by the bite of a mosquito infected with one of the four serotypes of the virus. The infection can be asymptomatic, or present with symptoms ranging from a mild fever to a disabling high fever, with severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, and rashes. The disease may progress to severe dengue, characterized by shock, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding and/or serious organ complications.

About Aedes (mosquito that transmits dengue)

Aedes aegypti is the vector that presents the greatest risk of transmission of dengue and other arboviruses, such as zika and chikungunya. It is a house mosquito (living in and near homes) that breeds in any artificial or natural container containing water.

The mosquito can complete its life cycle, from egg to adult, in 7-10 days; adult mosquitoes generally live 4-6 weeks. The female Aedes aegypti is responsible for disease transmission because it requires human blood for egg development and metabolism. The male does not feed on blood.

The mosquito is most active early in the morning and in the evening, so these are the periods of greatest risk of bites. However, females, which need to continue feeding, will seek a source of blood at other times. Female Aedes aegypti feed every 3 to 4 days; however, if they cannot draw enough blood, they continue to feed whenever they can.

Symptoms

The mild symptoms of dengue may be confused with other illnesses that cause fever, aches and pains, or rash.

The most common symptom of dengue is fever along with any of the following:

-Nausea, vomiting

-Rash

-Aches and pains (pain in the eyes, usually behind the eyes, muscle pain, joint pain, or bone pain)

-Any warning signs.