Dear Doc,
I recently read that having had dengue type I, II, or III, makes it more likely you may get dengue haemorrhagic. I had dengue three times but that was over 20 years ago. If I were to contract dengue now after all these years, is it likely that I can still get dengue haemorrhagic fever? – Sandra
Dear Sandra,
Thank you for such an in insightful question. There are four types of dengue viruses, but the cross-protection between each is temporary, usually 2-4 months; therefore, there is no limit to the number of times one can acquire dengue. I will state however that having a subsequent dengue infection within a short period of time, that is, less than 18 months, increases the probability of the second infection being severe.
Dengue was originally classified into three categories by the World Health Organisation in 1997 as 1) dengue fever, 2) dengue haemorrhagic fever and 3) dengue shock syndrome. Each subsequent category being worse than the other.
If an individual is diagnosed with dengue fever regardless of the type, one should avoid the use of certain painkillers known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as these may increase the risk of bleeding which tends to be a feature of dengue haemorrhagic fever.
The World Health Organisation has updated their definition of the three prior categories.
This update allows more severe cases to be detected as one can have a severe case of dengue fever without bleeding. Some of the characteristic basic features of dengue include fever, headache, eye pain and muscle pain just to list a few. Please seek medical attention if you are ill and do not self-diagnose. As mentioned by the Government Information Service announcements and Senior Medical Officer (SMO), as a community we can be proactive and check around our homes for mosquito breeding grounds. As was stated, mosquitoes do not fly very far. Check for areas where water may be collecting, such as plant pots and old tyres for example. Check indoors and outdoors.
Use mosquito repellant especially at dusk. Ensure to apply repellant to your skin before mosquitoes are out and feeding, that is before 5:30 p.m.
Often individuals only remember after their first bite. However during the rainy season especially, we must all be vigilant and try as much as possible to protect ourselves.
