HIV and Dengue

Being a person with HIV/AIDS, I see to it that I am knowledgeable about the different infections that are prevalent in our country. Tag and I are always on the lookout, trying to prevent infections as we both know that because of my weak immune system, any infection can be magnified. 

Today in the early morning news, I head from the newscasters about the outbreak of dengue again since it has been raining recently. Because of this, I started to do my research once again. All my readers, you can email me at pozziepinoy@yahoo.com if you have additional information regarding this topic.

Status of Dengue in the Philippines

In the Philippines the Department of Health (DOH) claimed that dengue has afflicted 51,597 individuals from Jan. 1 to July 14, 2012 and the number continues to rise. In a report, the DOH said the figure is 16.43 percent higher than the 44,315 cases recorded during the same period last year. Most of the dengue cases were from the National Capital Region (NCR) (22.24 percent), Calabarzon (14.08 percent) and Central Luzon (13.65 percent), according to the report. Ages of the cases ranged from less than one month to 90 years old. Of the 51,597 cases, 324 have died, representing a case fatality rate of 0.63 percent.  This is also higher than the 293 deaths during the same period last year.

The DOH report showed Metro Manila accounted for 11,476 of the cases and for 57 deaths. Of this number, 3,589 cases came from Quezon City; 1,931 from Manila; 1,376 from Caloocan City; 674 from Parañaque; 655 from Valenzuela; 595 from Pasig; 457 from Malabon; 410 from Taguig; 333 from Pasay City; 303 from Las Piñas; 255 from Makati; and 239 from Marikina.

With this alarming statistics, anybody is a candidate for an infection. 

What is Dengue?

WHO said that dengue is transmitted by the bite of an Aedes mosquito infected with any one of the four dengue viruses. It occurs in tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world. Symptoms appear 3—14 days after the infective bite. Dengue fever is a febrile illness that affects infants, young children and adults.

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Dengue?

Symptoms range from a mild fever, to incapacitating high fever, with severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, and rash. There are no specific antiviral medicines for dengue. It is important to maintain hydration. Use of acetylsalicylic acid (e.g. aspirin) and non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. Ibuprofen) is not recommended.

Dengue haemorrhagic fever (fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, bleeding) is a potentially lethal complication, affecting mainly children. Early clinical diagnosis and careful clinical management by experienced physicians and nurses increase survival of patients.

Treatment for Dengue

Because dengue fever is caused by a virus, there is no specific medicine or antibiotic to treat it. For typical dengue, the treatment is purely concerned with relief of the symptoms. Rest and fluid intake for adequate hydration is important. Aspirin and non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs should only be taken under a doctor's supervision because of the possibility of worsening bleeding complications. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and codeine may be given for severe headache and for joint and muscle pain 

Dengue Coinfection

It is known that HIV infection alters the natural history of other infections, often leading to more severe presentations and worse outcomes. It is an important condition in our country, being a part of the tropical region wherein the interaction between HIV infection and other endemic tropical diseases has been frequently described. However, there is little literature on the clinical presentations and outcomes of dengue infection in HIV infected persons. 

Prognosis for a Typical Dengue Fever

Typical dengue is fatal in less than 1% of cases. The acute phase of the illness with fever and myalgias lasts about one to two weeks. Convalescence is accompanied by a feeling of weakness (asthenia), and full recovery often takes several weeks.

Prevention and Early Detection

In an interview, Lyndon Lee Suy, DOH Dengue Control Program manager, has reiterated the call for the public to eliminate all possible breeding sites of mosquitoes to prevent dengue outbreaks. “When cleaning the surroundings make sure that you get rid of anything that can hold water because they can become breeding sites of mosquitoes,” he said.

Most infected people experience Dengur Fever,with terrible headached and fever and rashes that can lasts a week or two. In some cases however,the virus weakens the circulatory system and can lead to haemorrhaging.

Most infected people experience Dengur Fever,with terrible headached and fever and rashes that can lasts a week or two. In some cases however,the virus weakens the circulatory system and can lead to haemorrhaging.

Why is it necessary to use NS1 Antigen test?

1. Early diagnosis of dengue infection is very necessary, especially in the severe cases of the either dengue hemorrhagic fever(DHF) or Dengue Shock Syndrome (DS),which are the major causes of death.

2. Early detection has impact on patient treatment

3. The early diagnosis also prevents further unnecessary investigations and treatment.

4. It helps in proper management and prevention if any sequelae complications

So for all of us with HIV/AIDS conditions, we should always vigilant on our surroundings to prevent Dengue coinfection. Cleanliness is of utmost important. If we are traveling to the other parts of the country, we should always be protected with mosquito repellents and protective gadget. We should always report any symptoms to our infectious disease doctors as soon as possible for better control and treatment of the infection.

Dengue can be prevented. We just have to do our part! 

CREDITS & REFERENCES:

WHO
medicinenet.com
www.freedigitalphotos.net

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