Dengue is spread by the bite of the female mosquito (Aedes aegypti), which has infected many people across India. Telangana has witnessed the most number of dengue cases this year. Amid this, the US has good news that may bring cheer to India. The Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has approved a vaccine that can prevent the spread of four types of dengue.
The USFDA along with Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has this year approved the first vaccine for the prevention of dengue disease caused by virus serotypes (1,2,3, and 4), The Siasat Daily. It said, “Dengvaxia, the first vaccine approved for the prevention of dengue disease caused by all dengue virus serotypes (1, 2, 3 and 4).”
The report further said that though the news will help India fight against the mosquito-borne disease, according to experts working in the field India will have to wait for a decade for the new drug to arrive in India for sale.
Hyderabad, meanwhile, is witnessing a sudden rise in the number of dengue cases. Telangana has reported nearly 3,000 cases of dengue in the month of September. Unofficially, 56 people have died due to the mosquito-borne disease but the state government says no one has died of dengue so far this year.
In Telangana, more than 4,500 cases have been reported since January this year. According to the state officials, the number of dengue cases has seen a sudden rise since August.
Dr. Mohammed Abdul Mohi Siddiqui, Additional RMO of the Osmania General Hospital said that the hospital alone has reported around 916 dengue cases this month. Out of this 250 cases were positive. At the same over 80 cases of malaria have been reported, he added.
Dengue, which is also known as break-bone fever, is characterised by mild to severe symptoms. They usually take 4 to 7 days after the mosquito bite to be recognisable. Some of symptoms of dengue fever include muscle and joint pains, high fever, vomiting, body rashes, intense headache, pain behind the eyes, among others. These symptoms can gradually worsen if proper treatment is not taken during the initial stage and can cause internal bleeding, sensitive stomach, weak pulse, a significant drop in blood platelets, disorientation among others. These severe symptoms can, in fact, lead to the death of a patient suffering from dengue.
The dengue mosquitoes breed in stagnant water and bite during early hours in the morning and in the evening before dusk. Other mosquito diseases like malaria, chikungunya are also spread by 'Aedes' species.
There are no specific drugs approved for dengue treatment.
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