Context: With the onset of monsoon and flooding in Delhi-NCR, the city has reported more dengue cases in 2024 as compared to the previous five years. However, the figure can be attributed to better reporting, including from private laboratories.
Dengue disease:
- Dengue is a viral illness caused by the dengue virus, which is an RNA virus from the Flavivirus genus.
- Dengue is more common in tropical and subtropical regions.
- Transmission:
- The virus is primarily transmitted to humans through the bites of infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.
- There is no evidence that dengue can be transmitted directly from person to person through casual contact, coughing/sneezing, or sexual contact.
- Rare cases of vertical transmission (from mother to child during pregnancy or childbirth) have been reported, but this is not a common mode of spread.
- Symptoms: Fever, headache, nausea, muscle/joint pain, rash, and potentially hemorrhagic complications.
- Treatment: There is no specific treatment or vaccines available for dengue, only supportive care. The primary public health focus for controlling dengue is on mosquito population control and preventing mosquito bites.
