by Playfuls Staff |
19th September 2006
A recent study in Indonesia has concluded that mosquitoes are more easily spreading dengue fever among humans because the deadly virus is now present in their eggs, a local report said [more] Tuesday.
Previously, Aedes aegypti mosquitoes could only contract dengue by first biting a human who already was infected, and then pass the virus along to anyone else they bite, The Jakarta Post reported.
Now, with the virus found in the eggs of the species, "each mosquito can spread the disease" from birth, said Budihardja, head of the East Java provincial health office.
The six-month study was conducted by a vector-disease research centre in Central Java, taking samples from five cities in the province.
The study also found that one of the primary symptoms of dengue, a prolonged high fever lasting around five days, had been reduced to around two days, making it harder for doctors to diagnose cases.
Dengue is a flu-like illness primarily found in tropical and sub-tropical parts of the world, especially in Southeast Asia and Africa, infecting as many as 100 million people annually and killing thousands.
Symptoms include high fever, headaches, severe joint and muscle pain, and rash. There are no specific treatments aside from bed rest, drinking fluids and anti-fever medication.
Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a closely-related virus from the same mosquito, but fatality rates are much higher. Children and young adults are at greater risk of death than adults because of their less-developed immune systems.
© 2006 DPA
