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7 Major Differences Between Dengue And Chikngunya
Dengue fever and chikungunya are two vector-borne diseases wherein the vector is any mosquito under the Aedes aegypti - although there are certain cases of chikungunya spread by the Aedes albopictus - which introduces viruses into the bloodstream.
These diseases usually affect the people living in tropical areas which have a humid, moderate climate. This is because it is difficult for the mosquitoes to breed in the extremities of weather. Mosquitoes, in most cases, breed in contaminated and still water, both indoors as well as outdoors.
Historically, the two were considered to be one and the same because of the similarity in their symptoms. Even today, it is difficult to diagnose or distinguish between the two unless a lab test is performed.
There are also rare cases where a person may have both the diseases. To make matters worse, there is no vaccine that is globally recognized or approved.
Also, there are no medications specifically meant to treat these diseases. The only treatment that happens after diagnosis is limited to reducing or countering the effects of the symptoms like joint pain, fever, etc. and not the virus as a whole.
These
two
diseases
are
potential
threats
to
life
or
at
least
cause
damage
to
different
organs
of
our
body
if
left
undiagnosed
and
poorly
treated.
The
only
way
out
is
to
be
aware
of
the
symptoms
of
the
two
and
take
timely
action
before
it
is
too
late.
In
this
article,
you
can
find
differences
between
the
two
diseases
and
their
symptoms.
1. The Cause
Dengue - It is caused by viruses of the Flavivirus genus under the Flaviviridae family. It is only the female mosquitoes of the Aedes aegypti that carry and transmit the virus and cause dengue.
Chikungunya - It is caused by the viruses of the genus Alphavirus under the Togaviridae family. This virus can be transmitted either by the bite of Aedes aegypti, which happens to be the most common cause of chikungunya or in rare cases by the bite of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.
Aedes aegypti is also the primary vector for other diseases like Zika and yellow fever viruses as well.
2. The Symptoms
Dengue
•
A
severe
headache
•
Nausea
and/or
vomiting
•
A
sudden
high
fever
with
temperatures
of
about
103°F
or
higher
(which
is
not
caused
by
an
infection
that
was
already
present)
which
subsides
after
2
to
4
days
and
is
accompanied
by
an
unusually
high
amount
of
sweating
•
Pain
on
the
forehead
areas
and
behind
the
eyes
(especially
while
moving
the
eyes)
•
Feeling
fatigued
and
extremely
weak
•
Body
and
joint
pain
•
Difficulty
in
breathing
along
with
low
heart
rate
(tachycardia)
•
Low
blood
pressure
•
Enlarged
lymph
nodes
in
the
neck
and
groin.
If the case is much severe, there are other noticeable symptoms like bleeding from gums or nose (mostly in mild amounts), rashes or bruises on the face and/or arms and legs, pale skin, extreme restlessness or sleepiness, being thirsty all the time, pain in the abdomen and passing black stools. In addition to that, the platelet count diminishes, sometimes severely.
Chikungunya
•
A
headache
•
A
sore
throat
•
Nausea
and/or
vomiting
•
High
fever
of
about
103°F
or
more
•
Rashes
and
bumps
(maculopapular
rash)
on
the
skin
(especially
on
the
palms,
face,
torso,
hands
and
feet)
•
Pain
in
the
eyes
often
accompanied
by
conjunctivitis
and
pain/discomfort
caused
because
of
exposure
to
light
(photophobia)
•
Severe
back
pain
(especially
in
the
lower
back)
•
Severe
muscle
and
joint
pain
(especially
in
the
wrists,
ankles,
hand
and
feet)
sometimes
accompanied
by
mild
swelling.
The
pain
is
usually
the
strongest
in
the
morning.
•
Feeling
of
fatigue
3. Time Taken For These Symptoms To Start Showing
Dengue - The time taken for these symptoms to develop, i.e., incubation period, is about 3 to 7 days.
Chikungunya - The incubation period is about 1 to 12 days.
4. How Long Does The Disease Last?
Dengue - The disease may persist for about 4 to 7 weeks.
Chikungunya - The disease may persist for about 1 to 2 weeks, although the symptoms like joint pain may take years to fade away.
5. The Fatalities
Dengue is considered more fatal than chikungunya and also has the potential to kill people if left untreated. Moreover, during the disease, the symptoms may become very severe. For instance, there may be heavy bleeding, too much difficulty in breathing, etc. The symptoms, as well as the platelet count, must be constantly monitored in order to keep it under control.
Chikungunya is not as fatal as dengue. But the symptoms that a person develops during the disease sometimes stick to them for a lot of years. This is especially true for the body pain which may take months or years to fade away. In very rare cases, it may also cause neurological damage.
But Why Do Mosquitoes Bite You In The First Place?
It is only the female mosquitoes that bite. Why? That's because the female mosquitoes need blood to produce eggs. The male mosquitoes feed on flower nectar and are pretty harmless. As the female mosquito bites us, it also releases a little bit of its saliva - which acts as an anticoagulant - into our bloodstream, thereby transmitting the viruses.
Then why don't all mosquito bites cause diseases in us? That's because not all mosquitoes have viruses in them - they have an immune system too which fights these viruses. Even the ones that are infected with viruses don't necessarily transfer the infection because of multiple reasons.
As the female bites and draws in more blood, it lays lots of eggs in the water which again leads to the same cycle of events.
How To Prevent Chikungunya And Dengue?
The first step towards preventing the diseases is to prevent their vectors - aka mosquitoes. Every year, the government releases commercials and pamphlets asking citizens to prevent water from getting collected in containers and other open as well as indoor spaces, but rarely do people pay heed to it.
So why in the first place is the government saying that and why should you pay attention to it? Mosquitoes need contaminated water or water collected in containers and spaces to breed.
Moreover, a female mosquito can lay about 100 eggs or more in one single cycle and can have up to 3 of these cycles in their lifetime which is about 2 weeks to 6 weeks depending upon the environment. So the solution is to nip it in the bud and also prevent them from biting.
•
Don't
allow
water
to
get
collected
in
containers
or
open
spaces.
•
Preventing
any
kinds
of
waste
materials
from
getting
accumulated
in
open
spaces.
•
Wearing
long
sleeves
or
covering
as
much
of
your
body
as
you
can
if
and
when
you're
in
countries/places
that
are
at
high
risk
of
such
diseases,
especially
in
the
rainy
season.
•
Apply
mosquito
repellent
creams.
•
Use
eucalyptus
oil
•
Use
DDT
sprays
In spite of all these measures, there are chances that mosquitoes will still bite you. If you suspect that you have one or more of the symptoms of the diseases, visit a doctor and get a test performed as soon as possible.
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