Dengue Fever and Problem C. Scope
Title (1/4 index card) Part 1: a. introduction b. statement of the problem c. scope and delimitation PART1 a. Introduction Dengue Fever Dengue is a mosquito-borne infection that in recent decades has become a major international public health concern. Dengue is found in tropical and sub-tropical regions around the world, predominantly in urban and semi-urban areas. Was first recognized in the 1950s during dengue epidemics in the Philippines and Thailand b. Statement of the problem The incidence of dengue has grown dramatically around the world in recent decades. Some 2. billion people – two fifths of the world’s population – are now at risk from dengue. WHO currently estimates there may be 50 million dengue infections worldwide every year. In 2007 alone, there were more than 890 000 reported cases of dengue in the Americas, of which 26 000 cases were DHF. The disease is now endemic in more than 100 countries in Africa, the Americas, the Eastern Mediterranean, South-east Asia and the Western Pacific. South-east Asia and the Western Pacific are the most seriously affected. Before 1970 only nine countries had experienced DHF epidemics, a number that had increased more than four-fold by 1995.
Not only is the number of cases increasing as the disease is spreading to new areas, but explosive outbreaks are occurring. c. Scope and delimitation There is no specific treatment for dengue fever. But we can prevent having dengue fevers. The best way to prevent dengue virus infection is to take special precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. Several dengue vaccines are being developed, but none is likely to be licensed by the Food and Drug Administration in the next few years. When outdoors in an area where dengue fever has been found Use a mosquito repellent containing DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus *Dress in protective clothing—long-sleeved shirts, long pants, socks, and shoes Because Aedes mosquitoes usually bite during the day, be sure to take precautions, especially during early morning hours before daybreak and in the late afternoon before dark. Other precautions include: * Keeping unscreened windows and doors closed * Keeping window and door screens repaired * Getting rid of areas where mosquitoes breed, such as standing water in flower pots, containers, birdbaths, discarded tires, etc.
