6 February 2014
My friend's wife, a doctor with Sime Darby Hospital, told us that there is now a new variant of dengue - very dangerous and deadly.
Previously when you have high fever, you see a GP and if the doc suspects it's dengue, they will ask you to wait 3 days and then only do a blood test to determine the platelet count.
The new variant however, doesn't wait 3 days. Friend's wife has seen few cases where the patients died within 3 days of high fever.
Dengue should be suspected when a high fever (40°C/104°F) is accompanied by two of the following symptoms: severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pains, nausea, vomiting, swollen glands or rash. Symptoms usually last for 2–7 days, after an incubation period of 4–10 days after the bite from an infected
mosquito.
Severe dengue is a potentially deadly complication due to plasma leaking, fluid accumulation, respiratory distress, severe bleeding, or organ impairment. Warning signs occur 3–7 days after the first symptoms in conjunction with a decrease in temperature (below 38°C/> 100°F) and include: severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, rapid breathing, bleeding gums, fatigue, restlessness, blood in vomit. The next 24–48 hours of the critical stage can be lethal; proper medical care is needed to avoid complications and risk of death.
So my friend's wife is suggesting that once you have high fever, DO NOT WAIT. Go straight to a hospital and asked for a blood test specifically to check your platelet count immediately. Don't wait for the 3 days cos you might not have the luxury.
Source: From an email just received today
Note: If your hospital does not have the latest CDC test, you may have to wait for 4 to 7 days for the antibodies to show before they can conduct a test for dengue.
See other posted articles on this blog:
New CDC Test for Dengue Approved
