WHO warns of possible rise in dengue cases in Afghanistan

Tags: International News

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued an alert on the recent cases of dengue fever in Afghanistan.

An overview of the news

• The organization said that their medical staff has enough equipment to control the disease.

• The organization said that the number of dengue patients may increase during the rainy season. Twelve groups of 65 women health professionals are participating in the three-day program to protect against dengue patients.

• The WHO also urged the people of Afghanistan to avoid mosquito bites and adopt necessary safety measures to prevent dengue.

What is Dengue?

• Commonly known as break bone fever, it is a flu-like illness caused by the dengue virus.

• It occurs when an Aedes mosquito carrying the virus bites a healthy person.

• The disease is mainly found in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world.

Causes of Dengue

• It is caused due to four viruses, namely - DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4.

• The virus enters the mosquito when it bites an already infected person.

• The disease is transmitted when it bites a healthy person, and the virus is spread through the person's bloodstream.

Symptoms of Dengue

• Headache, Muscle, bone and joint pain, Nausea, Vomiting, swollen glands, Rash.

Treatment

• There is no specific treatment for dengue.

• Early detection of severe dengue-associated illness and access to appropriate medical care reduce deaths from severe dengue.

• Diagnosis of dengue infection is done with a blood test.