Early detection key to avoid dengue deaths

The Emerging and Re-Emerging Diseases Program of the Department of Health said early detection was the key to avoiding dengue-related deaths.

Dr. Lyndon Leesuy, program manager, said one should seek a doctor’s help once he or she experienced continuous fever for 48 hours. A test could be easily made to determine if the fever is dengue.

People, especially parents, should also know the signs and symptoms of the four grades of dengue:

Stage 1—Fever, difficulty in breathing, abdominal pain, rashes

Stage 2—All the symptoms of Stage 1 and spontaneous bleeding. Rashes can appear in any grade of dengue.

Stage 3—Circulatory failure, weak pulse, bleeding and low blood pressure

Stage 4—Shock and possibly death if the body of the patient is weak and the immune system is low.

At Stage 3, the dengue patient may suffer from complications like organ failure, central nervous system problem and encephalitis.