The latest buzz word all over Delhi is "dengue." It seems everyone has it, just recovered from it, or is fearful that they have it.
Transmitted by mosquitos who bit an infected person, who then in turn bites a healthy person, its symptoms include high fever, severe headaches and body/joint aches that can last up to 10 days. A person's platelet count can be horribly affected, requiring that the platelet levels be checked daily to monitor whether transfusions are needed.
The above photo shows our daily "prescription" of hopeful dengue fighting choices.
All-Out (plug-ins, much like what you might be used to that would dispense air freshener)
Odomos (a very pleasant mosquito repellant cream, that as long as the contents are potent as they are supposed to be, is very very effective),
Good Ole' Off from the United States (we keep a can in the car for pre-drop-off spray downs before school)
Hit (a "good smelling" outdoor spray, also used for inside when we want to pre-treat a room before bedtime) and
Bees Wax Balm - which I swear by.
I found this article interesting (from Bloomberg) ::
Delhi's Richest Areas Hit By Dengue as City Prepares for Games
By - Sep 13, 2010 4:52 AM GMT+0530 Sun Sep 12 23:22:09 GMT 2010
What makes southern New Delhi more susceptible than the slums and crowded settlements in the north is its continual supply of fresh water.
The tree-lined neighborhoods where New Delhi’s executives and entrepreneurs live have become prime breeding grounds for a deadly scourge.
A dengue outbreak in the city has been concentrated in areas with rooftop tanks, lotus ponds and flowerbeds as mosquitoes lay their eggs in the standing water, doctors say.
India’s health ministry confirmed 1,438 cases of dengue in a city more commonly afflicted by diseases endemic to the poor such as malaria, tuberculosis and diarrhea. The outbreak may be fueled by the city’s $4.6 billion preparations for next month’s Commonwealth Games, as the heaviest monsoon in 15 years leaves pools of water at construction sites.
“In Delhi, dengue is a disease that spreads best in the kind of neighborhoods that only the upper-middle class and rich live in,” said Sandeep Budhiraja, a doctor at the city’s Max Institute of Medicine. “I’ve treated at least five CEOs this week alone.”
Symptoms
Dengue causes sudden fever, severe headaches, and muscle and joint aches lasting up to 10 days, according to the WHO. It can trigger a potentially fatal drop in white blood cells and platelets, leading to excessive bleeding.
The disease is spread by female mosquitoes. The insects contract the virus when biting an infected person, and then they transmit it when feeding on a healthy person.
About 3 percent of cases are fatal, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Indian newspapers reported as many as five deaths in the latest outbreak. The health ministry told Bloomberg News it didn’t have any data on fatalities.
Budhiraja and other doctors said the health ministry’s number of cases likely was too low. He said he has seen 1,500 cases in his hospital alone since July.
“And this is just the beginning of September,” he said. “Just wait for a few weeks.”
What makes southern New Delhi more susceptible than the slums and crowded settlements in the north is its continual supply of fresh water. Bloomberg News contacted eight hospitals in the southern part of the city, and doctors and spokesmen estimated a combined 2,442 cases of dengue. Seven hospitals contacted by Bloomberg News in the northern part of the city estimated a combined 923 cases.
“Unlike for other diseases, as tropical countries become wealthier, dengue does not tend to decrease in incidence,” said Peter Ryan, head of the mosquito control laboratory at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Australia. “Instead, the problem often exacerbates.”
New Delhi’s efforts to spruce itself up before the Commonwealth Games starting Oct. 3 also are creating favorable breeding conditions for mosquitoes carrying dengue. Government preparations for the 71-country sporting event include digging new subway routes, refurbishing or building from scratch 20 stadiums, and rebuilding roads and bridges.
“Construction sites with tarpaulin that collect rainwater, pipes lying around, lift shafts or even buckets are perfect for dengue,” said Scott Ritchie, a medical entomologist at the Tropical Public Health Unit in Cairns, Australia.
Fear of dengue infections prompted the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to issue travel advisories to its athletes competing in the games and ask them to wear protective clothing and use mosquito repellants.
Greater Kailash Enclave resident Anjum Khan, 19, her skin pale and her breathing shallow, sat in a hospital room waiting to be discharged after a week of receiving platelet transfusions and painkillers for dengue. The fashion-school student switched hospitals twice because they ran out to platelets.
“I am not sure where I caught it,” Anjum said as her mother packed her belongings. “It was very painful.”
