Dengue cases on rise: What’s the Denv-2 strain all about? Why hydration is the key to managing the infection

Since dengue can be controlled with adequate hydration, early diagnosis is necessary. Take the antigen, antibody, CBC and LFT tests. Rush to the hospital if your platelet levels have fallen to 50,000 with bleeding and low blood pressure for prompt management of parameters, says Dr Suranjit Chatterjee, Senior Consultant, Internal Medicine, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Delhi

By now, we are being told that the Denv-2 strain of the dengue is in circulation and although it is a more severe strain, a little bit of vigilance is expected to prevent complications and see us through the season. Its symptoms are similar to all other variants of dengue with patients more prone to shock and haemorrhage if not diagnosed and addressed in time. Although the numbers of those affected are not that much yet, this year I am seeing cases of platelets dropping significantly.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

So let’s understand the signs and symptoms. Usually patients have a sudden onset of high grade fever which persists, nausea, pain in the eye socket, extreme fatigue, body ache, abdominal pain and rashes. At this stage platelets may not have fallen that much and there could be a dip in white blood cells. As the fever goes on undiagnosed, it could be accompanied by liver pain, vomitting, mucosal bleeding, reduced urination and low blood pressure. Laboratory tests show an increase in red blood cells and a rapid decrease in platelets. In severe haemorrhagic fever, the patient has severe plasma leakage leading to a haemorrhagic shock, fluid retention in the pleural and abdominal cavities and severe breathing difficulty. This could lead to severe bleeding and organ failure.