Dengue Fever Case Study

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CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the study Dengue is an arbovirus disease complex which includes dengue fever (DF) and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and its subsequent dengue shock syndrome (DSS). It is caused by four serotypes of dengue virus. A dengue virus infection may be asymptomatic or it may lead to undifferentiated viral fever syndrome, dengue fever, fever hemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome. (World Health Organization 2003) The disease is often, though not exclusively, closely associated with poor environmental sanitation, inferior housing and inadequate water supplies. Communities where such conditions prevail must be told what step they should take to prevent and control DHF. The diagnosis and management of…show more content…
There are four serotypes of the dengue virus namely DEN-l, DEN-2, DEN-3 and DEN-4. Dengue viruses are transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito (which normally attacks at dawn and at dusk) The Aedes aegypti are mainly found in urban areas and while the Aedes Albopictus is usually found in the rural and sub-urban areas. The dengue virus is transmitted via the bite of the Aedes mosquito, in particular the A.aegypti and A.albopictus. Infection with any one of the serotype confers lifelong immunity to that virus serotype. Although all four serotypes are antigenically similar, they are different enough to elicit cross-protection for only a few months after infection by any one of them. The four serotypes of the dengue virus may all circulate concurrently in the same season but in different geographical regions. One serotype may predominate over other serotypes depending on the susceptibility or immunity of the population Dengue virus is now believed to be the most common arthropod-borne disease in the world. Dengue is mainly found in the tropics because the mosquitoes require a warm…show more content…
In the second decade (1973-1982) the lowest numbers of cases recorded in year 1981 were 524 cases and the highest incidence was recorded in year 1982. Malaysia had experienced a large epidemic in year 1982 with 3006 notified cases reported, of which 28.6 percent had been identified as dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) with 35 deaths. The Malaysia government took serious actions when the number of dengue incidence increased in early 1980" Therefore, since 1980, the Ministry of Health Malaysia had made an important policy decision in converting the existing Malaria Eradication Programme (MEP) into the Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (VBDCP). This is because the basic strategies and activities of MEP were also applicable to the control of other diseases transmitted by the mosquito vector including controlling the dengue epidemic. The formation of VBDCP for dengue started in

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