Each year, a growing number of people around the world get infected with dengue virus. Outbreaks have occurred in the Western Pacific, Southeast Asia, the Americas, the Caribbean, and Africa. No wonder it continues to cause panic to millions of people worldwide each year.
To protect yourself from this virus, it is in your best interest that you understand the signs and symptoms it brings. Furthermore, you ought to be sure about what it takes to keep it at bay. That’s exactly what this article is going to help you unearth today. Keep reading to learn more about the dengue virus.
What is Dengue Virus?
First things first, you ought to understand what the virus is all about. To cut the long story short, Dengue viruses are spread to people through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. These mosquitoes are also known to spread Zika chikungunya and other viruses.
Dengue is caused by one of any of four related viruses i.e., Dengue virus 1, 2, 3, and 4. That explains why an individual could be infected with a dengue virus as many as four times in his or her lifetime.
Signs and Symptoms of Dengue
The vast majority of people infected with this virus have mild or no symptoms. In most cases, you might confuse the mild symptoms of dengue with other illnesses that cause fever and flu-like illness. Fortunately, many people infected by the virus tend to recover after about one week.
Either way, you need to be fully aware of the common symptoms that patients have to make do with. After all, you never know how your body is going to respond to this virus. Some of the most common symptoms associated with this virus include headache, eye pain, rash, muscle, joint, or bone pain, nausea and vomiting to mention a few.
The Bottom Line
It is important that you do everything possible to avoid contracting the dengue virus. The best way to go about this is by preventing mosquito bites. After all, the vaccine is not an effective tool on its own to reduce dengue fever.
So, strive to prevent mosquito bites and control the mosquito population in your area. Furthermore, prepare yourself fully when planning to visit an area where dengue fever is common. That way, you can reduce your chances of getting the virus during your travels.