After a strong fight against the COVID-19 pandemic for the better part of 2 years, the world has finally reached its new point of normalcy; a mix of the past as we knew it and the new that we’ve come to learn.
However, with COVID-19 having been the biggest health threat to us for so long, we can forget that there are other Viruses that threaten our well-being. A big one among them being the dengue fever.
Between 2013 and 2014, Singapore was hit with its worst outbreak of dengue fever with an onslaught of over 40,000 people infected.
Recently, there has been a re-surgence of dengue cases Island wide.
This article will help you further understand what is dengue fever, dengue symptoms and what we can do to prevent it.
What is Dengue Fever?
So, what exactly is Dengue fever?
Dengue fever is caused by the dengue virus which is transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. It cannot be spread from person to person. Some of the key symptoms that can arise with having Dengue fever include:
- Sudden onset of fever for 2-7 days
- Severe headache with pain behind the eyes
- Joint and muscle pain
- Skin rashes
- Nausea and vomiting
- Mild bleeding (e.g. nose or gum bleeding, or easy bruising of the skin)
After being bitten by infective mosquitoes, it takes anywhere between 3 to 14 days before symptoms start to develop and show.
As there are four different strains of the dengue virus, a person can potentially be infected up to 4 different times. However, the infection becomes more dangerous each time it is re-contracted, so it is recommended that people who have been infected need to take extra precautionary measures to prevent further dengue infections.
How long does Dengue Fever Last?
Symptoms of dengue usually dissipate within 2-7 days. However, in rare cases dengue fever can turn severe, leading to dengue haemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome. These infections are potentially life threatening and require immediate medical care.
Symptoms of severe dengue may include: bleeding, persistent vomiting, abdominal pain, restlessness or lethargy. These warning signs usually appear 1 to 2 days after the fever has subsided so make sure to be on the lookout even after the fever has eased and seek immediate medical attention should any of these symptoms arise again afterwards.
Who is most vulnerable to dengue fever?
While people from all age groups are prone to getting infected with the dengue virus, children, aged between 5-9 years old are particularly vulnerable to the infection as their immune systems are weaker than adults and they tend to play outdoors where there is less protection against the mosquitos.
How to prevent Dengue Fever
The easiest way to prevent the dengue infection from spreading, is to make sure that we all do our part and break the cycle of the dengue transmission cycle.
Aedes mosquitos tend to breed in clean, stagnant water that is easily found in our homes. By following the 5 step Mozzie wipeout, we can remove potential mosquito breeding habitats and prevent Aedes mosquitos from transmitting the dengue infection.
Apart from keeping our homes safe from potential breeding grounds for Aedes mosquitos, we can also protect ourselves through defensive measures like applying insect repellent regularly, wearing long-sleeve tops and pants, as well as spraying insecticide in dark corners around our homes.
Preventing the spread of dengue is also about maintaining vigilance in our environment and checking to see if we live in a dengue clustered area.
Thankfully, tracking and keeping up to date with such information has become easy through apps like myENV mobile app which alerts us on high density dengue clusters.
Keep yourself safe!
We understand that dengue fever can be a scary thing and that when it comes to our loved ones, we want to go the extra mile to keep them safe.
So we’re here with a helping hand to make sure that in the event that you are diagnosed with dengue fever, you can focus on your recovery and not on the stress of its financial costs.
SAFRA Member Exclusive – Receive FREE Dengue Aid Insurance Coverage
SAFRA Members can now enjoy a free 12 month Dengue Aid Insurance Coverage with Singlife. With this coverage, you can focus on recovery in the event you are diagnosed with dengue fever. For more information, please visit https://www.safra.sg/promotions/Singlife
