Beyond malaria, mosquito can give you dengue fever
In our part of the world, the mosquito buzz is a familiar, though hateful, tune that we hear rather frequently.
As individuals, we do all that is
possible to protect ourselves and loved ones from the deadly bite that a
mosquito can inflict. And when we suspect that we’ve subscribed to the
fever that comes as a result, the next line of action is to seek urgent
medical attention.
At governmental level and with support
from international donors, all efforts have been deployed towards
ridding endemic areas of mosquitoes. From subsidising drugs for
combination therapies for those who have been exposed to mosquito bite,
to the distribution of free insecticide-treated nets; as well as
sensitisation campaigns in all relevant media, it is obvious that no one
should treat mosquito bite with levity.
The fear is not without scientific
backing. French scientists had captured what happens in your body right
from the moment you are exposed to a mosquito bite, to the moment you
start seeing the physical effects by way of illness.
The scientists are of the view that when
a mosquito bites, it doesn’t just draw blood, but in fact probes around
under the skin to find a blood vessel, usually for several minutes at a
time.
Led by Valerie Choumet, researchers at
the Pasteur Institute in Paris say some people, especially in Africa and
Asia, are bitten several times every day. Each time a mosquito bites an
individual, the researchers say, the blood-sucking mosquito drinks for
an average of four minutes!
While on their murderous biting spree,
the scientists warn, mosquitoes suck so hard that the besieged blood
vessels start to collapse. “Some of these cells rupture, spilling blood
into the surrounding spaces,” the scientists say.
When this happens, the mosquito naturally gets excited, drinking from the pool of blood created.
Worse still, the researchers say,
malaria-carrying mosquitoes would spend longer time probing around for
blood vessels, “which suggests that the malaria-causing parasite,
Plasmodium, may be controlling the insect’s nervous system.”
Enter dengue fever
But beyond the mortal fear that malaria
fever — a consequence of Anopheles mosquito bite — inspires, a worse
disease looms large but it has not attracted as much due attention as
has malaria fever.
According to the World Health
Organisation, dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection found in
tropical and sub-tropical regions around the world. WHO notes that the
incidence of dengue has grown dramatically around the world in recent
decades; and over 2.5 billion people — more than 40 per cent of the
world’s population — are now at risk from dengue
WHO says further that the infection
causes flu-like illness, and occasionally develops into a potentially
lethal complication called severe dengue, or Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever.
Scientists lament that about half of the
world’s population is now at risk of developing dengue fever, while
severe dengue is regarded as a leading cause of serious illness and
death among children in some Asian and Latin American countries.
Bad enough, the number of dengue fever
cases has been on the increase in recent times, as it spreads to new
areas and explosive outbreaks are occurring. Worse still, researchers
say, more than one-third of the world’s population live in areas at risk
for transmission, and this includes Nigeria.
As worrisome as it is, physicians say,
there is no specific treatment for dengue or severe dengue, but early
detection and access to proper medical care lowers fatality rates below
one per cent. To prevent dengue, they say, we need effective vector
control measures.
Dengue fever in-depth
Epidemiologist, Mr. Segilola Araoye,
explains that dengue fever is a painful, debilitating mosquito-borne
disease caused by any one of four closely related dengue viruses. “The
viruses are related to the viruses that cause West Nile infection and
yellow fever,” he says.
Experts say dengue is transmitted by the
bite of an Aedes mosquito that has been infected with a dengue virus.
The mosquito itself becomes infected when it bites a person who has the
dengue virus in his blood. As the infected mosquito feeds on more
people, it spreads the virus directly from one person to another.
Araoye says that as is the case with
many diseases, doctors can only diagnose dengue viral infection with a
standard blood test to check for the virus or antibodies to it.
General practitioner, Dr. Tunde George,
says there is no vaccine for dengue; nor are there specific medications
to treat a dengue infection.
“Because dengue fever is caused by a
virus, there is no specific medicine or antibiotic to treat it. For
typical dengue fever, the treatment is purely concerned with relief of
the symptoms. This makes prevention the most important step, and
prevention means avoiding mosquito bites,” George enthuses.
Experts warn that the risk of being
bitten by Aedes mosquito is highest during the early morning, several
hours after daybreak, and in the late afternoon before sunset, though
mosquitoes may feed at any time of the day.
And would you know, mosquitoes generally thrive in heavily populated residential areas.
Again, physicians say, Aedes mosquitoes
typically live indoors and are often found in dark, cool places such as
in the closets, under the beds, behind the curtains, and in bathrooms.
The best bet, therefore, is to regularly frisk these areas by keeping
them clutter- and moist-free; while also allowing for fresh air in the
home.
Culled from Punch
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