Dengue fever?

[songhklasid]

Is dengue fever a threat year round or just mainly the rainy season ?What are the best precautions before travelling to north or northeast,malaria tablets?all replies welcome.

regards songhklasid.

[Lickey]

Why the stupid smileys?????? there are no precautions against dengue fever,

[partington]

Dengue is more common in the rainy season since there are more mosquitoes around , so more chance of being bitten, though the disease can occur all year round.

There is no connection between malaria and Dengue fever, so malaria tablets are not of any use in prevention.

The main thing to do is avoid being bitten as much as possible, by the usual methods - use mosquito repellent containing DEET, wear light clothes, as mosquitoes are attracted to dark colours, cover exposed skin as much as you can, use mosquito nets if you are sleeping in rooms to which mosquitoes have easy access.

This is about all you can do.

Bear in mind that Dengue can be mild to very unpleasant, but is life-threatening only very rarely, in about 1 in 1000 cases, so it is probably not necessary to over worry.

[Sheryl]

+1

And aside from dengue, Japanese B encephalitis (for which, unlike Dengue, there is a vaccine) is also mosquito-borne so well worth using repellent.

In my experience cases of dengue outside the rainy season and the 1-2 months after the rains stop (when there's still lots of water about) while not impossible, is pretty rare. Most people get it in the rainy season or right after it.

Forget malaria, unless you intend to spend the night in uninhabitated jungle, no real risk.

BTW the dengue epidemic is not limited to the north & northeast. It's not only the whole of Thailand but Laos, Cambodia, and Singapore as well. It's a regional epidemic.

[songhklasid]

As for the smileys, thats my signature, although perhaps in this case not appropriate.

[manhattan55]

+1

And aside from dengue, Japanese B encephalitis (for which, unlike Dengue, there is a vaccine) is also mosquito-borne so well worth using repellent.

In my experience cases of dengue outside the rainy season and the 1-2 months after the rains stop (when there's still lots of water about) while not impossible, is pretty rare. Most people get it in the rainy season or right after it.

Forget malaria, unless you intend to spend the night in uninhabitated jungle, no real risk.

BTW the dengue epidemic is not limited to the north & northeast. It's not only the whole of Thailand but Laos, Cambodia, and Singapore as well. It's a regional epidemic.

And unlike malaria, dengue can be contracted in urban areas.

[sometimewoodworker]

Our welder s wife got it during the hot season this year. So it's a year round problem. She was in hospital for a week, to be avoided if you can, and despite Lickys opinion there are precautions you can take. As others have said the precaution is avoiding being bitten. Mossie spray, light clothing, trousers instead of shorts, shirts not singlets etc.

[richardjm65]

My understanding is that there is no 'clinical' cure for dengue, and that it must run its course. I further understand that paracetamol (or something similar) is generally given to alleviate some of the pain and discomfort.

I have found what is supposed to be a 'country cure' which involves the use of papaya leaf juice, but I don't know of anyone who has tried it. Google is your friend however, and it might be of interest to google 'dengue fever - alternative treatment'. It would be interesting to hear if it works for anyone here.

I do know that there is no connection between malaria and dengue. Malaria is treatable. I believe that dengue is spread by a day biting mosquito, so it's wise to protect against these.

[Sheryl]

All posts which advocate dangerous (even lethal) quack "cures" have been and will continue to be deleted.

Posting same may lead to suspension of posting rules. Also please note rules about discussion of moderation.

[Sheryl]

My understanding is that there is no 'clinical' cure for dengue, and that it must run its course. I further understand that paracetamol (or something similar) is generally given to alleviate some of the pain and discomfort.

I have found what is supposed to be a 'country cure' which involves the use of papaya leaf juice, but I don't know of anyone who has tried it. Google is your friend however, and it might be of interest to google 'dengue fever - alternative treatment'. It would be interesting to hear if it works for anyone here.

I do know that there is no connection between malaria and dengue. Malaria is treatable. I believe that dengue is spread by a day biting mosquito, so it's wise to protect against these.

Simple dengue (the most common form) is managed symptomatically and indeed must run its course. Paracetemol is given for fever and pain, and sometimes stronger pain killers (e.g. codeine, tramadol) are necessary. Some people also require IVs to maintain hydration.

There is a very wide clinical spectrum of "simple" dengue, from what feels like a mild flu to what has the person flat on their back unable to move for up to 2 weeks and everything in between.The convalescent period is prolonged and depression during it is common.

While very unpleasant, "simple" dengue carries no long term risks. However for reasons still not totally clear, but possibly related to an auto-immune response (and most commonly found in people who had prior dengue infections as a child), a minority of people develop a complicated hemorrghic form of the disease (Dengue Hemorraghic Fever AKA Dengue Shock Syndrome) and this is very serious. The deaths you see reported are from this, not from simple dengue.

Properly managed -- and the Thai hospitals have extensive experience with it -- the mortality rate for Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever is only about 1%. But it does require immediate hospitalization and close management. Fluid replacement and sometimes blood products, among other things, are often necessary.

There is no "cure" for the hemorraghic form either but like simple dengue it will run its course in about 10-14 days so it is a matter fo preventing/treating shock until it has had a chance to do so.

Speculation about the possible beneficial effect of papaya leaf extract is based on one published study that had a sample size of exactly ONE patient. That, and the known contents of the extract. So I would classify it as "possibly helpful but not proven". It is not known to be dangerous. Note that its hypothesized benefits pertain solely to preventing or reversing a drop in platlets (factor in blood clotting) so it is of no use at all in "simple" dengue, only (possibly) for the minority of cases with hemorrhagic form.

In more than 2 decades here I have known hundreds of cases of dengue in farang, only recall one where the hemorrhagic form occurred. Locals seem to be at higher risk of that, perhaps due to sensitization as a child. Not saying it can't happen, but the risk is small. Risk of having an unpleasant few weeks of pain and fever though is quite real. (I've had it 3 times myself so speak from experience).

Of course back in Europe or the US, you'd face periodic flu outbreaks with equal or higher mortality stats. Just to put it in perspective.

[Hunter s somtam]

My understanding is that there is no 'clinical' cure for dengue, and that it must run its course. I further understand that paracetamol (or something similar) is generally given to alleviate some of the pain and discomfort.

I have found what is supposed to be a 'country cure' which involves the use of papaya leaf juice, but I don't know of anyone who has tried it. Google is your friend however, and it might be of interest to google 'dengue fever - alternative treatment'. It would be interesting to hear if it works for anyone here.

I do know that there is no connection between malaria and dengue. Malaria is treatable. I believe that dengue is spread by a day biting mosquito, so it's wise to protect against these.

Yer your right about the papaya mate ,I had the dengue fever ten years ago in Indo and was really sick for a week or so ,headaches ,aching bones and just couldn't move ,the locals gave me the papaya concoction and i was up and about in no time ,but as far as I remember it was papaya SKIN juice .

I dont know if it was the juice that fixed me or the fever had just ran its course ,but worth a go if you get a dose of the bone crusher.

And yes they get you get you in the day time ,malaria mozzies at night .

[Sheryl]

Closing this now as a single Dengue Thread has been established in the health forum to replace what had become multiple threads in multiple forums. The epidemic is not only nation-wide but region-wide.

See http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/652479-dengue-outbreak/ and please post any comments/questions regarding dengue there rather than starting any new threads. Thanks.