Published: 6th Nov, 2021
Context
To help manage the dengue outbreak, the Union Government has deployed central teams of experts in nine states and Union Territories to bolster efforts to contain the mosquito-borne disease.
About Dengue
- Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease that has rapidly spread in all regions.
- Transmitted by: Dengue virus is transmitted by female mosquitoes mainly of the species Aedes aegypti and, to a lesser extent, albopictus.
- These mosquitoes are also vectors of chikungunya, yellow fever and Zika viruses.
- Dengue is widespread throughout the tropics, with local variations in risk influenced by rainfall, temperature, relative humidity and unplanned rapid urbanization.
Virus:
- The dengue fever is caused by the virus of the family Flaviviridae or the dengue virus (DENV).
- DENV has four distinct but closely related, variants, known as:
- DENV-1
- DENV-2
- DENV-3
- DENV-4
- DENV-2 and DENV-4 are associated with severe dengue cases. In India, DENV-1 AND DENV-2 are more prominent
How does it spread?
- Mosquitoes generally acquire the virus while feeding on the blood of an infected person.
- After an incubation period that lasts between 8-10 days, an infected mosquito can spread the virus to people for the rest of its life.
- Humans are the main host of the virus, although monkeys have been found to pick up the infection in some parts of the world.
Vaccines for Dengue
- There are no vaccines for Dengue yet.
- WHO has allowed Dengvaxia- tetravalent live vaccine in a few countries like Mexico, Thailand, Indonesia, Brazil and the Philippines but research is still underway to know about its overall side effects and benefits.
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