Dengue Fever

What is the difference of Dengue Fever and Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever?

Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF) is a severe form of Dengue Fever (DF) with increased bleeding tendency; the mortality rate can be as high as 20%. DHF usually occur in persons with previous history of infection caused by different serotype of dengue virus.

What is the risk of Dengue Fever in China ?

Dengue Fever mainly affects the Southern territories of China with seasonal variations. Sporadic outbreaks have been reported in Guangdong , Guangxi , Fujian , Hainan , and Macau . The risk of infection in Taiwan exits through out the year.

What is the risk of Dengue Fever in Southeast Asia ?

All four serotypes of Dengue virus are endemic in Southeast Asia . Risk of infection occurs through out the year in Indonesia , Vietnam , Thailand , Philippine, Laos and Singapore . Outbreaks usually occur during the rainy season from May to October each year. Imported cases of Dengue Fever infection have also been reported in Hong Kong residents returning from Malaysia , Cambodia and Myanmar .

How to reduce the risk of infection in Dengue Fever affected areas?

No effective vaccine is available to prevent Dengue Fever. When visiting affected areas, travellers should remain vigilance against mosquito bites, they should take the following measures for health protection:

• Travellers should always wear long-sleeved clothing;
• Rest in air-conditioned rooms or protected by screens;
• If accommodations allow entry of mosquitoes, use a mosquito net over the bed;
• Apply insect repellent to exposed skin. Choose one containing DEET (N, N-diethyl-3-toluamide);
• If there is an outbreak, travellers should avoid crowded places and leave the area as soon as possible.

How to treat Dengue Fever?

There is no specific drug to treat Dengue infection; hospital can provide supportive treatment. Infected patient should avoid aspirin; they can use Paracetamol to control fever.