Dengue Fever (Dengue virus)
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Additional Information
| Sizes | Giantmicrobes are based on actual microbes, cells, organisms and other critters, only 1,000,000 times actual size! Gigantic (GG) 40-60cm XL (XL) 25-38cm Original (PD) 12-20cm Minis (MM) 5-10cm each Keychain (KC) 5-10cm with clip |
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| Materials | Plush from all new materials. Stuffed with polyester fiber fill. Surface washable: sponge with water & soap, air dry. |
| Packaging | Each plush microbe includes a printed card with fun, educational and fascinating facts about the actual microbe or cell. |
| Safety | Every product meets or exceeds U.S. and European standards for safety. For ages 3 and up. |
All about Dengue Fever (Dengue virus)
FACTS: Dengue fever is a tropical disease endemic to more than 100 countries. Up to a 100 million people are infected each year.
The origin of the name Dengue is unknown, but is thought to derive from the Swahili "ka-dinga pepo" (or "disease of the devil") corrupted to the Spanish word "dengue" which described the "fastidious" gait exhibited by sufferers as they walk. And with good reason: in about 20% of cases, the virus results in rashes, fevers, and head-, muscle-, and joint-aches painful enough to have earned it the nickname "breakbone fever."
In addition, because Dengue virus attacks white blood cells and can compromise platelet production, it can also cause the hemorrhages which distinguish the disease from other tropical afflictions such as malaria and typhoid fever. Children under 10 years of age and those with impaired immune systems are particularly susceptible to the hemorrhagic form of Dengue fever.
The disease is primarily transmitted by the Aedes aegypti "tiger" mosquito, which is active during the day (unlike the malaria-causing Anopheles mosquito which is active at night). But despite efforts to control it from spreading, increases in population and global travel have helped distribute what was once a rare disease around the globe.
With an incubation period of approximately 3-14 days, travellers returning home from the tropics can rest easy after a fortnight. But for a third of the world's population, home is still haunted by this evil spirit.
| Name | One of the viruses of the Flaviviridae family |
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| Actual Size | Ranges from 120-150 nanometers, the same size as the HIV virus |
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| Where It Lives | Mosquitos act as vectors and spread the illness from human to human through their blood. |
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| System | Attacks the immune and circulatory systems |
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| Commonality |
World Health Organization estimates that 50-100 million people suffer from dengue fever each year 40% of the human population lives in areas where there is a risk of transmission of the virus |
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| Symptoms | Fever, headaches, muscle and joint pain, widespread rashes, nausea, vomiting. Many symptoms are similar to the flu. |
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| Cure | There is no cure. However, to treat the virus, taking acetaminophen relieves pain and constant fluid intake avoids dehydration. Taking aspirin puts the patient at greater risk because it increases the chances of hemorrhaging. |
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| Deadliness/Severity |
Dengue fever is not deadly, symptoms only last about a week. A closely related disease, dengue haemorrhagic fever, has been known to can kill its victims, but it is an entirely different disease. |
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| Infectiousness | Female mosquitos are the vector for this virus. The insect becomes infected when taking the blood of an infected person and transmits the virus to a healthy person by biting them. |
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| History |
The first outbreak was reported as early as 992 in Asian forests in an infectious cycle involving mosquitoes and primates. The word dengue means “careful” or “fastidious” in Spanish. This refers to the stiff, slow movements of patients suffering from muscle and bone pain caused by the virus. Epidemics have occurred in nearly all tropical and subtropical regions. The fever has spread to new countries recently as climate change and population growth increase. |
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| Fascinating Facts |
Only 1% of those with the fever have to be hospitalized This disease has a geographical spread like Malaria and has symptoms similar to the flu. In Culture: Dengue Fever is the name of a Cambodian pop band formed in 2001. Manu Toigo, star from television show Naked and Afraid, was infected while in Panama. |
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