Phuentshogling general hospital, this year, reported over a hundred cases of dengue fever until now. The first case was reported in the first week of this month. The hospital has already started the preventive measure of thermal fogging.
Dengue fever has been reported continuously for the past five years in Phuentshogling. According to the hospital, the dengue fever outbreak spreads more after heavy and continuous rain, as the water gets stagnant. The symptoms are mild and high fever, severe headache, pain in the eyes, joint pains and rashes. The symptoms show up three to fourteen days after the mosquito bite. The hospital also reported three cases of the chikungunya virus.
Despite being quite similar, Dengue and Chikungunya are very much different. Due to sharing quite similar signs, it becomes difficult in identifying the exact problem.
Dengue and Chikungunya, though carried by the same mosquito type, but are caused by different viruses. While Chikungunya is caused by a Togaviridae alphavirus, Dengue is caused by a Flavirideae flavivirus.
The incubation period of Chikungunya is of 1-12 days and the duration varies from one to two weeks. However, signs such as joint pain last for a long time. The incubation period for dengue is of 3-7 weeks while it stays from about four to seven weeks.
Swelling and pain is high in Chikungunya as compared to that in Dengue. Chikungunya can create the possibilities of tremendous joint pain. Whereas Dengue can cause bleeding in some cases, breathing problems, etc.
