What is in news : A rise in Dengue cases among children is being noticed in various cities

What :

Dengue fever

• Mosquito-borne illness
• Occurs in tropical and subtropical areas of the world.
• Mild fever causes a high fever and flu-like symptoms
• The severe form can cause serious bleeding, a sudden drop in blood pressure (shock) and death.

What are the major causes for rises in Children:

• Can affect all age group
• Children are more susceptible to it as they are more likely to get bitten by mosquitoes. If timely treatment is not initiated, it can cause dehydration and shock
• September and October are the two months when dengue cases rise because of Rain, This year, the late rainfall has aggravated the situation.
• With a fall in temperature, mosquitoes will decrease and I think in another ten days, we should see a decrease in dengue cases.

Precautions to be taken

• Warning signs in children – severe pain in the abdomen, frequent vomiting, bleeding from mouth/nose/gums, lethargy, restlessness, poor oral intake. These children need to be admitted to a hospital at the earliest.
• Parents need to treat a fever with only paracetamol, frequently feed the child, and increase liquids like ORS, coconut water.
• Child should pass urine four to six times, and they should report to a hospital early, as soon as the warning signs appear.
• If a patient has a fever that lasts for more than three days, then a blood test is important.
• Also, as mosquitoes bite infants more, they need to be protected with adequate clothing and care.

Is the treatment of dengue different for children:

• Same as that of adults, but there is a need constant monitoring.
• Consider a platelet count of less than one lakh as a warning sign, but low platelets are not the only parameter that we consider.
• Dehydration, low blood pressure, bleeding are serious signs to consider.
• Dengue deaths are completely preventable if we take timely interventions.