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Prevention


There are no approved vaccines for the dengue virus.[1] Prevention thus depends on control of and protection from the bites of the mosquito that transmits it.[14][27] The World Health Organization recommends an Integrated Vector Control program consisting of five elements: (1) Advocacy, social mobilization and legislation to ensure that public health bodies and communities are strengthened, (2) collaboration between the health and other sectors (public and private), (3) an integrated approach to disease control to maximize use of resources, (4) evidence-based decision making to ensure any interventions are targeted appropriately and (5) capacity-building to ensure an adequate response to the local situation.[14]

The primary method of controlling A. aegypti is by eliminating its habitats.[14] This is done by emptying containers of water or by adding insecticides or biological control agents to these areas,[14] although spraying with organophosphate or pyrethroid insecticides is not thought to be effective.[3] Reducing open collections of water through environmental modification is the preferred method of control, given the concerns of negative health effect from insecticides and greater logistical difficulties with control agents.[14] People can prevent mosquito bites by wearing clothing that fully covers the skin, using mosquito netting while resting, and/or the application of insect repellent (DEET being the most effective).

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DENGUE FEVER , HEALTH EDUCATION , INFECTION CONTROL (ICSP) , URDU

Research

Research efforts to prevent and treat dengue include various means of vector control,[43] vaccine development, and antiviral drugs.[27] With regards to vector control, a number of novel methods have been used to reduce mosquito numbers with some success including the placement of the guppy (Poecilia reticulata) or copepods in standing water to eat the mosquito larvae.[43] There are ongoing programs working on a dengue vaccine to cover all four serotypes.[27] One of the concerns is that a vaccine could increase the risk of severe disease through antibody-dependent enhancement.[44] The ideal vaccine is safe, effective after one or two injections, covers all serotypes, does not contribute to ADE, is easily transported and stored, and is both affordable and cost-effective.[44] As of 2009, a number of vaccines were undergoing testing.[13][33][44] It is hoped that the first products will be commercially available by 2015.[27] Apart from attempts to control the spread of the Aedes mosq...

Clinical course

The characteristic symptoms of dengue are sudden-onset fever, headache (typically located behind the eyes), muscle and joint pains, and a rash. The alternative name for dengue, "break-bone fever", comes from the associated muscle and joint pains.[1][7] The course of infection is divided into three phases: febrile, critical, and recovery.[8] The febrile phase involves high fever, often over 40 °C (104 °F), and is associated with generalized pain and a headache; this usually lasts two to seven days.[7][8] At this stage, a rash occurs in approximately 50–80% of those with symptoms.[7][9] It occurs in the first or second day of symptoms as flushed skin, or later in the course of illness (days 4–7), as a measles-like rash.[9][10] Some petechiae (small red spots that do not disappear when the skin is pressed, which are caused by broken capillaries) can appear at this point,[8] as may some mild bleeding from the mucous membranes of the mouth and nose.[5][7] The fever itself is cl...