Can dengue become severe?
Dengue infection cases have reached an alarming high this year, raising concerns all across the country. While health officials and authorities continue to urge people to take all preventive measures, the numbers have only increased, making it difficult for people to cope.
Furthermore, with a newer, DENV-2 variant in circulation, experts believe that the dengue infection can turn more severe, leading to more serious complications and hospitalization.
Dengue fever can become severe, cause death
There is no telling as to who is more likely to contract dengue fever. Given that the infection is widespread and causes mild symptoms, people usually tend to treat and manage it at home.
However, a dengue infection can take a severe turn. Both adults and kids can be affected by severe dengue, more so if they have previously been infected with one strain of the virus, developed immunity against it and become infected again with a different strain.
As is known, dengue belongs to the Flaviviridae family, constituting four distinct serotypes of the virus called DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3 and DENV-4. Out of all the strains, DENV 2 or the strain D2 is considered to be the most severe and can even lead to fatal internal bleeding and shock.
That said, watch out for the signs and make sure to be vigilant between 3-7 days following the onset of infection, since as per the World Health Organization (WHO), a patient may enter what is known as the "critical phase".
Your body can suffer from dengue shock syndrome
When a dengue infection becomes more severe, it could turn into dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome, which can be fatal.
Since there are four different types of dengue virus, a person can get infected with any or all of these viruses. Once you're infected with one serotype of virus, you may develop immunity against it, but you continue to be at risk of contracting the other strains. That said, studies suggest that being infected with different dengue strains can make a person more prone to dengue hemorrhagic fever.
Read more: Dengue hemorrhagic fever: All you need to know about this rare complication
If and when you develop dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), your body may go into a shock. Dengue Shock Syndrome (DSS) is the last stage of a severe dengue infection that can result from excess bleeding, circulatory system failures, fluid accumulation and more. Symptoms include abdominal pain, nausea, headaches, frequent vomiting, bleeding under the skin and more.
Plasma leakage is also a differentiator between a mild and a severe dengue. It is when a protein rich, fluid component of the blood leaks from the blood vessels, making the body go into a shock.
Blood leaking can lead to alarmingly low platelet levels
Given that severe dengue infections can cause serious damage to the blood vessels, it can lead to blood leaking and pooling under the surface of the skin.
When an infected mosquito bites a person, it not only attacks the immune system but also enters the bloodstream, enabling the replication and multiplication of the virus. This further allows the infected platelets to damage healthy platelets, confusing the immune defences to attack them as well, leading to a drop in platelet count. The condition is also called, 'thrombocytopenia', which occurs either due to direct bone marrow suppression or because of an autoimmune reaction.
Beware of respiratory distress
When it comes to severe dengue infections, it can also cause respiratory complications. From shortness of breath, chest pain to low oxygen levels in the body, severe dengue can cause serious lung distress. That said, be wary of the signs and take action as and when required.
Apart from that, severe dengue can also impact other organs, which is why close monitoring is extremely necessary during the critical phase.
Immediate treatment is key
A patient suffering with severe dengue can undergo a wide range of treatments including blood transfusions, oxygen therapy, electrolyte therapy and more. Those dealing with mild symptoms can resort to over-the-counter drugs prescribed by doctors.
In case a person suffers with respiratory distress and has low oxygen levels in the body, they can be treated with oxygen therapy.
There is no specific cure or effective vaccine for dengue as of now
Currently there aren't any safe and effective vaccines available for dengue. Although there is a dengue vaccine called Dengvaxia (CYD-TDV), which is the first vaccine against dengue, licensed in 2015 and available in some countries for people aged 9 to 45 years, the WHO recommends that the vaccine be given only to people with confirmed previous dengue virus infection.
However, given that the dengue virus consists of four serotypes, DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3 and DENV-4, the available vaccine only provides immunity against one serotype, which does not generate lasting immunity against the other three, making it only less effective.