Dengue fever

Dengue fever or dengue fever (abbreviated as DBD) is an infection caused by the dengue virus which is carried by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito . Dengue virus is known as an arbovirus infection that is most commonly found in tropical and subtropical areas.

According to information from the World Health Organization (WHO), the incidence or cases of dengue fever have grown significantly over the last few decades. It is estimated that there are 100 - 400 million infections every year, with the Asian region contributing approximately 70% of dengue cases from the total cases found throughout the world (Source: WHO, 2020).

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Dengue fever in Indonesia

The high number of deaths caused by dengue fever from year to year shows that this disease caused by mosquitoes is still one of the main health problems of Indonesian society.

This is also inseparable from the fact that Indonesia is one of the countries on the Asian continent with a tropical climate, where the level of rainfall and temperature changes are quite high accompanied by a surge in urbanization that occurs every year.

In Indonesia, the first DHF cases were found in 1968 in Jakarta and Surabaya. There were 96 cases found in 2 large cities with 56 cases confirmed as dengue cases and 16 people killed, so the average death rate due to dengue fever reached 17%.

The highest number of cases and deaths due to dengue occurred in 2016 in Indonesia. At that time, the number of dengue cases reached 204,171 cases, with the death toll reaching 1,598 people.

Even though the number of cases and deaths continues to decline in the following years, dengue fever continues to make Indonesia one of the countries vulnerable to dengue transmission among several other dengue endemic countries in Southeast Asia.

• In 2017  – 68,407 cases, with deaths reaching 493 people (case fatality rate: 0.72%)
• In 2018  – 53,075 cases, with deaths reaching 344 people (case fatality rate: 0.65%)
• In 2019  – 13,683 cases, with 133 deaths (case fatality rate: 0.94%)
• March 2020  - The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia noted that there were 17,820 cases of DHF in Indonesia in 10 provinces with 104 of them died.

How is dengue fever transmitted?

Transmission of dengue fever begins with the transfer of the dengue virus which is transmitted by a dangerous type of mosquito, Aedes Aegypti. Initially, female Aedes mosquitoes will bite people who are infected with the dengue virus. Then around 10 to 12 days later, the virus spreads to the mosquito's salivary glands. Then the mosquito will infect other people by biting healthy people.

Dengue virus is also known to be transmitted through blood transfusions or organ donations. If someone who has been infected with the dengue virus donates blood or organs to another healthy person, then that person can get dengue from the donated blood or organs.

Apart from that, the dengue virus is also known to be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy or when the child is born.

What are the symptoms of dengue fever?

DHF is also known as "breakbone fever" or joint fever because the symptoms of dengue fever cause sufferers to experience severe pain as if their bones are broken.

The following are a number of signs and symptoms of dengue fever in adults, including:

• Continuous high fever
• Headache
• Red rash on the skin
• Acute pain in bones, muscles, joints, eyeballs and head
• Loss of appetite
• Vomiting and nausea
• Bleeding from nose, gums and skin

In some more serious cases, dengue fever can also turn into one of two forms that are life-threatening. The following are serious symptoms that dengue fever can cause:

• Triggers bleeding, leaky blood vessels (the tubes that carry blood) or low levels of blood platelets (which causes blood to clot)
• Triggers dengue shock which is accompanied by dangerously low blood pressure

How to prevent dengue fever?

Dengue fever is transmitted by the bite of an Aedes mosquito infected with the dengue virus. So, transmission of dengue fever can begin by controlling the breeding of Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes around your house.

The following are easy steps that you can do yourself at home as a way to prevent dengue fever at home:

• Adopting the 3M habit (Closing, Draining & Burying)
• Keeping the house and surroundings clean
• Prevent mosquito bites
• Maintaining a healthy body condition

1. Adopting the 3M habit (Closing, Draining & Burying)

Closing water storage areas, draining bathtubs and burying unused items. Mosquito larvae or larvae will develop well in standing water in about a week.

It is important for you to remove any material or objects that could potentially become a breeding ground for mosquito larvae, such as:

• Flower pot
• Used cans
• Used tires
• Other items that collect puddles

You can also use abate powder sprinkled in gutters, ponds and water reservoirs to prevent the reproduction of mosquito larvae.

2. Maintain the cleanliness of the house and its surroundings

There are several ways to ensure that your house doesn't have lots of mosquitoes, one of which is by keeping your house and surroundings clean through:

• Keep the house in a damp condition without any light coming in.
• Avoid stacking and hanging used clothes for a long time.
• Tidy up the bushes and plants in your yard regularly.
• Ensure that the water in the gutters continues to flow and is not blocked by debris or rubbish.

3. Prevent mosquito bites

The following are several ways you can prevent being bitten by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, for example through:

• Use mosquito repellent lotion or spray
• Wear closed clothing, especially when you have to be active at dawn or dusk (because Aedes mosquito activity generally occurs at this time)

4. Maintaining a healthy body condition

A strong body condition can help the body to ward off viruses that enter, so that even if you are bitten by a mosquito, the virus will not develop properly in the body of a healthy person.