Dengue fever is a contagious disease caused by the dengue virus which is carried by Aedes mosquitoes. It is common in tropical regions. The common symptoms of dengue fever include high fevers, headaches, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, and hemorrhages of the skin or viscera. This disease can be fatal it the treatment is delayed. 

According to the Epidemiological Surveillance Report, the cumulative number of dengue fever cases in 2023 reached 102,202 with 98 deaths. Dengue fever most commonly affects children between the ages of 5 and 14, and the age range that has the highest death rate from the illness is 25–34 years old. There is an upward tendency in the number of patients. Dengue fever is most prevalent in the southern part of Thailand with a peak incidence of 2,654 cases and 4 fatalities in 2023. This statistic reflects the severity of this disease. With 1,128 cases and 2 deaths, Songkhla Province has the highest number of dengue cases in southern Thailand—making it the province with the fifth-highest number of dengue fever infections in Thailand.  

According to statistics on the dengue fever outbreak in southern Thailand, the highest number of dengue cases is observed the age group of 10-14 years old, followed by 5-9 years. In addition, dengue fever is more common among men than women; of total confirmed cases in the southern region, 52% of patients were men and 48% were women.

Awareness and knowledge, first step towards dengue prevention 

Common symptoms in dengue fever patients are high fever, headache, muscle pain, nausea and vomiting, and loss of appetite. In some cases, patients may experience bleeding spots on the skin, nosebleeds, vomiting blood, or dark stools.  

Symptoms  

• High fever (39-40 °C) 
• Headache, eye pain 
• Body aches, joint pain 
• Loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting. 
• Facial flushing 
• Bleeding spots on the skin 
• Nosebleed 
• Vomiting blood, dark stools 

Treatment  

Treatment for dengue fever depends on the severity of the symptoms. In general, the emphasis is on symptomatic management, such as wiping the body to reduce fever, using antipyretics, and getting enough rest, drinking lots of fluids and close monitoring of symptoms. If you experience severe symptoms such as lethargy and excessive bleeding, you should seek medical attention immediately. 

Treatment options 

• In mild cases, the doctor may advise using pain relievers and antipyretics while recovering at home.  
• In severe cases, the patients may need to be admitted to the hospital to get medication, minerals, saline fluids, and close symptom monitoring. 

Prevention 

The best prevention against dengue fever is “elimination of Aedes mosquito breeding habitats”, which includes draining standing water from containers, replacing vase water every seven days, releasing mosquito-eating fish into containers or ponds, wearing proper clothing, applying insect repellent, sleeping under a mosquito net, getting dengue vaccination, and monitoring outbreak news from reliable sources.