Dengue Fever An acute infectious disease manifested initially with fever that caused by the Flavi virus and

the first confirmed Dengue epidemic was reported from Philippines in 1953-1954. Transmission

Aedes aegypti or the common household mosquito are the transmitter of the disease, is a day-biting mosquito which lays eggs in clear and stagnant water found in flower vases, cans, rain barrels, old rubber tires, etc. The adult mosquitoes rest in dark places of the house.

Mosquito Bite

Signs and Symptoms

First 4 days: febrile or invasive stage - Sudden onset of high fever - Abdominal pain - Joint & muscle pain - Headache - Vomiting - Conjunctival infection / pain behind the eyes - Epistaxis - Loss of appetite and Weakness

4th 7th days: toxic or hemorrhagic stage - Lowering of temperature - Skin rashes - maculopapular rash or red tiny spots on the skin called petechiae - Severe abdominal pain - Vomiting - Hematemesis and melena - Unstable BP 7th 10th day: convalescent or recovery stage - Generalized flushing with intervening areas of blanching appetite regained and blood pressure already stable. Management: no medications available that can provide a cure. Treatment addresses the symptoms and it also attempts to avoid potential complications. Dengue fever:
Symptomatic Bed

and supportive treatment.

rest during acute febrile illness. of antipyretics or aspirin because of gastritis and bleeding. / mild sedation for pain such as headache. of patient is required till he becomes afebrile, has normal platelet of DHF by early recognition of plasma leakage by frequent estimation

Avoidance

Paracetamol may be given.

Analgesics For

vomiting and sweating, oral fluids and electrolytes must be supplemented

Monitoring

count and normal hematocrit.

Prevention

of hematocrit (> 20% in normal values) and platelet count < 50,000/mm3 would cause Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever.
Check

for low BP and for Narrow pulse pressure (< 20 mm Hg)

Prevention and Control

Cover

water drums and water pails at all times to prevent mosquitoes from water in flower vases once a week.

breeding.
Replace Clean

all water containers once a week. Scrub the sides well to remove eggs of gutters of leaves and debris so that rain water will not collect as breeding

mosquitoes sticking to the sides.

Clean

places of mosquitoes.
Old

tires used as roof support should be punctured or cut to avoid accumulation

of water.
Collect

and dispose all unusable tin cans, jars, bottles and other items that can

collect and hold water.

Insect Wear

repellents, screen the window and bed mosquito net

long-sleeved shirts and pants. Also wear socks and shoes, and apply insect

repellents on your skin and your clothing whenever going out in infected area. Health Teaching: > D- discuss the possible source of infection of the disease. > E- educate the family/patient on how to eliminate those vectors. > N- Never stocked water in a container without cover. > G- Gallon, container and tires must have proper way of disposal. > U- Use insecticides at home to kill or reduce mosquito. > E- Encourage the family of the patient to clean the surroundings to destroy the breeding places of mosquito

SORE EYES

is a common term for an inflammation of the thin covering of the eyeball and the inner eyelid brought about by a viral infection which may be highly contagious. Transmission Sore eyes can spread by contact of contaminated hands with the eyes (hand to eye contact ) or through touching of eyes with hands which got into contact with contaminated surfaces or objects. It can also spread through droplets from a person with sore eyes who also has a runny nose or cough. Sign and Symptoms eye redness eye secretions How to prevent sore eyes? 1. Wash hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water. 2. Do not touch your eyes and face without washing your hands. 3. Do not share towels, eyeglasses/ shades and make up. 4. Do not reuse handkerchiefs (using a tissue is best).

5. Used make-up must be thrown away if the patient has been diagnosed with infectious conjunctivitis. 6. Be careful that tips of eye drops or ointments do not touch the eyes or eyelashes. . 7. Dont swim (some bacteria and viruses can be spread in the water). 8. Avoid shaking hands. 9. Disinfect surfaces, doorknobs, counters, elevator buttons, hand rails with dilute bleach solution. 10. Clothes, towels, pillow cases and anything else which may have come in contact with an infected person should be washed. How to treat sore eyes? 1. Frequently wash hands with soap and water. 2. Use clean tissue to remove discharge from eyes and wash hands afterwards. 3. Dispose used tissue in garbage bins. If the latter is not available, keep tissue in a small plastic bag then discard it as soon as you find a garbage bin. 4. To prevent irritation of the eye and possible scarring, do not use contact lens while one has sore eyes. 5. Do not wear eye make-up until the problem has been resolved. 6. Warm compress may be helpful to relieve discomfort and remove "crust". 7. Use antibiotic or antiviral medication only upon prescription by the doctor . 8. If drops or an ointment is prescribed, the applicator tip and infected eye must never come in contact with each other. 9. Especially for persons with sore eyes with runny nose or cough, stay in a separate room or away from other family members or co-workers.