Source:

Public Health Agency of Canada

I decided to write about this topic because most of my friends and people that I know are somehow affected of were infected with Dengue, which is affecting Paraguay in many ways.

There are some things you should know about DENGUE, specially if you are planning to travel to Paraguay.

For the past months Paraguay is seriously affected by the Dengue Fever,  there have been registered about 11.000 cases of dengue in Asuncion alone. The estimated total for all of Paraguay is more than 100.000 cases.

For those who are planning to travel to Paraguay beware of the dengue. Well, now let me explain what dengue is.

Dengue is a viral illness spread by the bite of a mosquito which is infected with one of the four strains of dengue flaviruses. The name of the female mosquito that is mainly responsible is Aedes.

Symptoms: It is similar to flu like symptoms, including fever, headache, muscle aches and joint pain, pain behind the eyes and a faint rash, it usually lasts 3 to 5 days, rarely 7 days.

There is also a more dangerous form of the disease called dengue hemorrhagic, it can be fatal, Its symptoms include loss of appetite, vomiting, intense abdominal pain and bleeding, which may be from the nose or under the skin, may occur usually in those who have already been infected, have suppressed immune systems or are young (under 15 years old).

There is currently no vaccine which protects against dengue fever, prevention is the key, since there is no treatment for dengue fever.

The magnitude and extend of the current outbreak in Paraguay has led to national health authorities to declare a medical emergency.

Recommendations for travelers.

All travelers to Paraguay should use standard mosquito precautions, including the following:

• The mosquito vector bites during the day, with increased activity 2 hours after sunrise and several hours before sunset. During the hours when the mosquito vector is most active, avoid going outdoors, or otherwise use an effective mosquito repellent on exposed skin.
• If you develop a fever during your trip, or within 2 weeks of leaving the area where dengue fever occurs, seek medical advice.
• Wear light-colored clothing with full length pant legs and sleeves; and use insect repellent on exposed skin.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 2nd, 2007 at 7:28 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.