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- She died there of Denque fever, from which he also suffered and neverfully recovered. He returned to New Brunswick, where he died. Dengue Fever, seasonal viral infection characterized by fever, headache,extreme pain in the joints and muscles, and skin rash. A more serious butless common form of the disease, dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), maycause severe and fatal internal bleeding. Dengue fever and DHF are causedby any of four different viruses, and are transmitted from one person toanother by the female mosquito of two species of the genus Aedes.Outbreaks of the disease usually occur in the summer when the mosquitopopulation is at its peak. The infection cannot be transmitted directlyfrom person to person and not all people who are bitten necessarilycontract the disease. Dengue fever and DHF occur in many tropical andsub-tropical areas in Asia, Africa, Central and South America. Isolatedcases in the United States are usually the result of tourists bringingthe disease back with them from travelling abroad. The incubation period (time between infection and onset of symptoms) ofdengue fever is five to eight days. The fever typically runs its coursein six to seven days, but convalescence is usually slow. Treatment fordengue fever is directed at reducing symptoms. The incubation period of DHF is 2 to 7 days. In the early stages thesymptoms are very similar to those of dengue fever. The second stagesymptoms include nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. The onset ofhemorrhagic symptoms rapidly follows-bleeding nose and gums, bruisingeasily, and sometimes internal bleeding. Treatment for these symptoms isa standard fluid rehydration therapy in order to maintain blood pressure.If circulatory failure is not reversed, shock and death will follow. DHFis most common among children under the age of 15. Ten percent ofchildhood cases of DHF are fatal. The most effective preventive measure is the use of mosquito repellent.As yet no successful vaccine for dengue fever has been developed.According to the World Health Organization (WHO), dengue fever and DHFare among the most rapidly increasing insect-borne illnesses today.Several factors are believed to contribute to the wide spread of denguefever. Inadequate water and waste treatment facilities, along withinsufficient pest control measures, promote the rapid increase ofmosquito populations. In addition, dwindling public health resourcescannot keep up with the needs of growing urban populations that aresusceptible to infection. 'Dengue Fever,' Microsoft(R) Encarta(R) 97 Encyclopedia. (c) 1993-1996Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
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