All About Dengue Fever

Dengue fever is a serious illness that is spread by mosquitoes. It can have outbreaks and they are more common in certain parts of the world, where it is warmer throughout parts of Africa, Central and South American, India and Southern Asia. If you are traveling outside of the United States, you should be aware of any possible outbreaks and check with the state department’s website to see if there any precautions you need to take before traveling.

Symptoms of Dengue Fever

Dengue fever starts out as a fever that will last from two to seven days. You may also have joint pain, pain behind your eyes, as well as muscle or bone pain. There may be signs of easy bruising, bleeding gums or a bloody nose or petechiae (small pinprick bruises) and a possible rash. The real issues with the disease will happen after the fever drops. If you experience any of these symptoms, you need to go to the emergency room. There may be vomiting or severe abdominal pain, red spots, bleeding from the gums or nose, difficulty breathing, drowsiness, or clammy skin.

Treatment from Dengue Fever

There is no specific treatment for people with dengue fever. If you develop the complications, doctors will monitor you and try to treat symptoms. It is important to avoid taking ibuprofen or other medications that can make bleeding easier like aspirin. The best pain medication to take while fighting off dengue fever is acetaminophen. The key is to monitor the illness as it progresses so that you can seek emergency medical care if necessary.

Protecting Yourself from Dengue Fever

When traveling to parts of the world that are prone to dengue fever, you should protect yourself by wearing mosquito repellent. Be aware of any travel restrictions due to an active outbreak. If you a family member or friends ends up coming back to the United States with it, you should take precautions against being bitten to prevent a possible outbreak and to prevent the disease from spreading to your family member.

Controlling the Mosquito Population

It is important to take steps to control the mosquito population around the property. You can take the steps to do this by addressing standing water around your home. You can also have yard treatments done by Mosquito Tek that will eliminate adult mosquitoes and stop new ones from breeding. These steps can protect you and your family from a number of different mosquito-borne illnesses.

Comments

Can Tick Bites Really Cause an Allergy to Meat?

In the past few years there have been increasing reports of people developing allergies to meat after being bitten by a tick. This is formerly called an Alpha Gel allergy. Researchers in Virginia were among the first to discover it through clinical trials for a medication. Some patients were having a reaction to one component in the medication and would have similar allergic reactions to red meat or meat from mammals. Some people even have reactions to dairy products. What Tick Causes the Allergic Reaction? The Lone Star tick is the only tick that is currently known to spread the allergy to meat. The ticks are common in areas with high deer populations, since the Lone Star tick prefers to feed on the deer. You can identify a tick by looking at its back for a white dot in the center. If you find a tick attached to you, you will need to remove it right away, and then watch for symptoms. How Can I Tell if I Have an Allergy to Meat? The symptoms for the meat allergy will build over time....

Will the East Asian Tick Spread to the Arlington Area This Year?

The East Asian tick has made the news in the last few days because it is a new tick species that was identified as being in the United States this year. It was first identified last fall, but efforts were made to eradicate it. Unfortunately, scientists have determined that those efforts did not work, and the species has been established in New Jersey. Why Are People Concerned About the East Asian Tick? It is an extremely invasive species that originated in Asia. When it first spread to Australia it causes significant problems for farmers there. The ticks are often found around farms animals, but they can also be found on large animals like deer. The East Asian tick does carry the SFTS virus, which is a new virus that was first discovered in 2009. It has potential for serious complications and scientists worry about a potential outbreak. How Does the East Asian Tick Spread? The experts are not sure how the East Asian tick made its way to the United States. However, once it is...

Bee Safety and Mosquito Control

As the weather warms up and insect activity increases, both outdoor enthusiasts and casual lawn-goers alike are faced with similar challenges: how to manage mosquito populations without harming beneficial insects in the process. Protecting bees and other pollinators doesn’t require sacrificing your summer to the indoors, or risking discomfort and disease from feeding mosquitoes. Through incorporating preventative measures and the responsible application of products, it is possible to take your yard back from mosquitoes without dangerously impacting your local pollinators. The Importance of Protecting Pollinators The global decline in pollinator species -- both in diversity and population -- is widespread cause for concern. Insect pollinators play an essential role in the reproduction of many wild and food crop plant species, and bees in particular contribute to the success of the world’s most important human food crops. However, wild and domestic bee numbers have been droppi...

Mosquito Tek

Search This Blog