Dengue Fever

[Manassas]

Sister-in-law went to hospital with a high fever and doctors are saying it's dengue fever. I didn't know dengue was in this area. Did some google research and see it's endemic in Thailand. We live out in the country but I guess it can be worse in urbanized areas.  But apparently all you can do about it is try prevention with mosquito control in your area. Public health is suppose to have a spraying program but haven't seen that in my village.  

[sceadugenga]

We get sprayed about once a year, they warn us to close the house before they start.

I see the occasional local dengue report.

 

I read somewhere that it's spread by mosquitoes that mainly feed in daytime.

[Manassas]

From what I gleaned from google, it is spread by a specific type of mosquito identifiable by white markings on its legs and body. This mosquito lives 2-4 weeks but has a flight range of only about 200m from where it hatches. So the best you can do is drain standing water around the house in dog bowls, flower pots, coconut shells etc.

[LannaGuy]

Horrible and had it twice but not in Thailand  (Vietnam and Cambodia).

[sceadugenga]

Strangely enough mosquitoes don't seem to find me appetizing.

 

 

[Pilotman]

Despite living and working in Asia  on many different occasions, including a tour in Borneo, I actually contracted  Dengue Fever on a trip to Bangkok 15 years ago.  It was a horrible experience and effectively wrecked many of my joints.  I still suffer from that experience all these years later.  Nothing you can really do to prevent it. Interestingly, my Thai wife was at the dentist in UK for a check up some years back, and the dentist, a Chinese chap, said that she had caught Dengue Fever as a young child.  I asked him how he knew and he told us that it leaves a faint yellow line across the second teeth that at the age, had yet to appear.  He went on to say that  a great many Asian kids get it when young and it is usually passed off as a bad case of flu.  Of course, once you have had it, you have immunity to the virus fever, but not to your body reacting to it in  just the same way but without the high temperature; so I'm told.  

[Rhys]

Is there not a vaccine out for this now...

 

The first dengue vaccine, Dengvaxia (CYD-TDV) by Sanofi Pasteur, was first registered in Mexico in December, 2015. CYD-TDV is a live recombinant tetravalent dengue vaccine that has been evaluated as a 3-dose series on a 0/6/12 month schedule in Phase III clinical studies. It has been registered for use in individuals 9-45 years of age living in endemic areas.

[Rotweiler]

Yes and no.  There is a vaccine that is about 60% effective if the directions are followed 100%.  It is required to have multiple injections over a year, each quite expensive.   I understand the Thai government is working on their own, fully systemic, vaccine.

 

Regardless, at the moment, there is no fully effective dengue vaccine.

 

 

1 hour ago, Rhys said:

Is there not a vaccine out for this now...

 

The first dengue vaccine, Dengvaxia (CYD-TDV) by Sanofi Pasteur, was first registered in Mexico in December, 2015. CYD-TDV is a live recombinant tetravalent dengue vaccine that has been evaluated as a 3-dose series on a 0/6/12 month schedule in Phase III clinical studies. It has been registered for use in individuals 9-45 years of age living in endemic areas.

 

[Manassas]

We are getting word-of-mouth of at least 3 more cases in our village. And that's just friends and family. Sounds like a real outbreak - if confirmed.

 

Is this just my village or are there cases in other areas??

 

Maybe it's time for a beach trip...

 

PS Sister-in-law recovering nicely.

[sceadugenga]

We had a storm here last night that hopefully cleaned out a few puddles.

Very close lightning strikes, the dog retired to his usual sanctuary under the computer desk and the cat disappeared completely until this morning.

[Manassas]

Everybody recovered and is back home. Hospital told us they would report the cases to public health authorities. They must have because yesterday a bunch of men showed up and fogged the whole village. That can't hurt, but the people who were infected were farmers and more likely got it from mosquitos out in the farm fields somewhere.

[Pilotman]

Can I add to my post the further story, for interest . After exposure in Bangkok, the symptoms started just as I boarded the aircraft to fly back to the UK.  By the time it landed at LHR I was on another planet with an high fever.  How I drove home I have no idea and I dont remember anything about that journey, or collecting my cat from the cattery on the way.  I woke up next morning in extreme joint pain and still with a high fever. The UK doctor had no idea what it was and was going to have me admitted to the hospital, but I declined.  My Thai family were quite adamant on the phone,  saying to me, its Dengue , or 'broken bone disease' as they termed it. .  I told the Dr and he got a blood sample and sent it the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine who confirmed Dengue.  The worrying thing is that the Dr didn't seem to connect my recent arrival in the UK from Asia with the condition. He was Asian!! Hope things have improved in 15 years. 

[orchis]

there are five strains of dengue, having had one doesn't give you immunity for the others.

[Randell]

Oh my Orchis and here I was feeling safe as I have had it 30 years ago in Mexico.

[96tehtarp]

In Thai they usually refer to Dengue Fever as "kai leut awk" which loosely translated is "fever blood runs-out" or something along that line. This is is the most dangerous form of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever where an afflicted person suffers from bleeding from pores and other body orifices.

 

Yes, it is transmitted by the daytime mosquito variety "Aedes aegypti." They have white tiger/zebra stripes and are easy to recognize. Lots of pictures can be found here https://www.startpage.com/do/search?q=Aedes+aegypti&nj=0&cat=pics

In my Thai town any cases of Dengue fever found at the hospital are reported to the local health authorities who pinpoint the specific soi where the afflicted person lives.

 

They usually spray the soi and adjacent sois immediately after even one case. About twice a year we have a volunteer team who go on a sort of neighborhood mosquito watch. They invade everyone's homes and look for water pots and other potential mosquito breeding grounds. If our house passes we get a bright florescent green sticker on the front door. 

 

The most common victims I've seen are young kids who watch TV cartoons indoors on Saturday and Sunday mornings. It might be a good idea to burn a mosquito coil during those times.

[Manassas]

The doctor told us that one of their big worries is an infected person who stays home. Apparently it is easy for the virus to move when a mosquito bites the infected person and then bites someone else in the house. They urged the use of mosquito nets. Even while in the hospital they used mosquito nets over the infected person.

[sceadugenga]

I get claustrophobic.

[DavisH]

On 9/3/2017 at 6:34 AM, Manassas said:

We are getting word-of-mouth of at least 3 more cases in our village. And that's just friends and family. Sounds like a real outbreak - if confirmed.

 

Is this just my village or are there cases in other areas??

 

Maybe it's time for a beach trip...

 

PS Sister-in-law recovering nicely.

Dengue can spread quickly if the area is not fogged to kill off the adults. Dengue is transmitted mainly by Aedes aegypti but also Ae. albopictus. aegypti is quite stealthy and has been thought that one mosquito can infect a whole family in one night. It's been more rainy this year so I expect more infections. Too much rain, such as in 2011, wiped out most of the breeding sites and probably flushed most of the eggs away. It took a couple of years for mosquitoes to get their good numbers back (at least where I live). 

https://www.cdc.gov/dengue/resources/30jan2012/aegyptifactsheet.pdf

https://www.cdc.gov/dengue/resources/30jan2012/albopictusfactsheet.pdf

[DavisH]

On 9/8/2017 at 6:14 AM, Manassas said:

Everybody recovered and is back home. Hospital told us they would report the cases to public health authorities. They must have because yesterday a bunch of men showed up and fogged the whole village. That can't hurt, but the people who were infected were farmers and more likely got it from mosquitos out in the farm fields somewhere.

Yes, every case must be reported to the health department. That's why the foggers showed up. Better late than never. It's better to empty water receptacles or cover them. That's the main place they breed - and close to humans as humans are the only known host of dengue. 

[sceadugenga]

I've found that a fan is the best personal defence against mosquitoes, they don't like air movement.

Last night the power went off when I was planning an early night so I gave myself a good dousing with repellent as a substitute.

[George Bowman]

We usually spray two times per year. 

[Ace of Pop]

We usually spray two times per year. 

That Spray smells just like Paraffin , what is it.?.??


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[George Bowman]

It was explained to us that the spray  is really some sort of agriculture oil. It is supposed to cover the surface of any standing water, drowning the mosquito larvae.

[sceadugenga]

Well paraffin would do that, it's lighter than water and would float on the top.

Mosquito larvae have to breath through a type of personal snorkel, if it couldn't penetrate the oil then this would drown them. 

[observer90210]

Sanofi Pasteur©  Labs have developped a vaccine under the name Dengvaxia ©, that that been approved and highly recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

 

The vaccine has been distributed in dengue risk areas like the Philippines, Mexico. You would need to check out at a reliable hospital locally to get more information and if the vaccine won't cause any other issues due to health conditions or age.

 

Stay safe and healthy.

 

Ref.: http://www.sanofipasteur.com/en/articles/dengvaxia-world-s-first-dengue-vaccine-approved-in-mexico.aspx

 

 

 

Edited September 12, 2017 by observer90210

[maeab101]

On 9/12/2017 at 2:38 PM, observer90210 said:

Sanofi Pasteur©  Labs have developped a vaccine under the name Dengvaxia ©, that that been approved and highly recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

 

The vaccine has been distributed in dengue risk areas like the Philippines, Mexico. You would need to check out at a reliable hospital locally to get more information and if the vaccine won't cause any other issues due to health conditions or age.

 

Stay safe and healthy.

 

Ref.: http://www.sanofipasteur.com/en/articles/dengvaxia-world-s-first-dengue-vaccine-approved-in-mexico.aspx

 

 

 

There is no cure though for dengue.

[Bardeh]

On 9/15/2017 at 5:10 PM, maeab101 said:

There is no cure though for dengue.

It's not a cure, it's a vaccine. Stops you from getting it in the first place.

[freedomnow]

There is a complementary treatment available if you get dengue - papaya leaf juice.

Case studies mostly in India. I do not endorse it, or can attest to its effectiveness...it is merely a lead for people to google up on and decide its merit, in addition to mainstream care. It can be bought in CM behind MAYA I believe...at one organic juice place.

I never knew about it when I had dengue.

Wish I had, dengue made me feel 101 years old at one point.

Edited September 21, 2017 by freedomnow

[freedomnow]

http://outbreaknewstoday.com/bangkok-hospital-offers-dengvaxia-thailand-dengue-cases-2016/

[freedomnow]

https://www.facebook.com/Lanna-Herbs-625407210813583/

 

Not my biz, no affiliation.

 

If I ever got dengue again, I'd buy the juice. As each subsequent infection makes the fatality risk  or organ/limb loss risks much higher not lower, with dengue.