Mosquito-borne fevers, especially dengue, malaria, and chikungunya have shown a significant rise in numbers recently. Dengue fever cases have risen to record levels again in the Americas, while cases of the other two fevers are rising sharply across the world.
If unconstrained, these diseases can lead to severe morbidity and death world wide. And while we’ve seen record-breaking high temperatures around the world recently (record-breaking both by their height, as well as by their long duration), the fact is that mosquito borne illnesses are not only increasing, but also contribute to climate change and droughts around the world.
Malaria is a disease caused by the parasite Plasmodium, spread by mosquitoes. Malaria infection has been plaguing humans (and other organisms) since recorded history. The situation is more complex with regards to dengue and chikungunya: they’re both carried by Aedes mosquitoes, but the diseases are caused due to different viruses (DENV and, CHIKV respectively).
The three major diseases of the nervous system are Alzheimer’s disease, neuromuscular diseases, and cerebrovascular diseases. These three categories all contain a variety of diseases that are caused by different factors, which means they have various symptoms. The confusion between these classes of diseases arises because in many cases the symptoms of one class may resemble the symptoms of another class.
The differences between chikungunya vs dengue are not exactly identical but both are similar in that they are both arboviral diseases carried by mosquitos.
Dengue – Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical infectious disease caused by any of four related dengue viruses. It is estimated to affect around 400 million people every year. The most common symptoms are fever and headache, similar to those of a mild flu. The fever usually lasts 2 to 7 days. In some cases, the fever may be followed by a rash. In some patients, the infection can cause internal bleeding which may lead to death.
Symptoms – Dengue fever is a viral infection caused by any one of the 4 dengue viruses. The four serotypes are named for the locations where they were isolated: DENV-1, -2, -3 and -4. The Zika virus can be transmitted to humans primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. Babesiosis is a protozoan infection caused by the Babesia organism, which invades red blood cells. The incubation period is 4-7 days and symptoms are seen within 3-14 days of being bitten by an infected female Aedes mosquito.
The first symptom is sudden high fever without any prior underlying infection. Severe headache, nausea, vomiting and pain behind the eyes increases with eye movement. The next morning patient may experience loss of appetite followed by constipation. In a day or two, the face may get congested and feel heavy. Red or purple spots in sclera and yellow coloration of skin due to jaundice commonly known as “shale shaker jaundice” appears after few days.
Rashes are a common associated symptom of measles. Measles is an infectious disease that is a leading cause of death among young children. The rash associated with measles is light-coloured (sandpaper like) and red dots that appear first on the face and the trunk, then spreads till the whole body. Other symptoms include protein loss from urine and stools, nose bleeds, mild bleeding from the gums and eyelids. Measles can also lead to swollen lymph nodes in the back of the neck and groin area which may be swollen for weeks after being infected by measles leading to difficulty in breathing.
Chikungunya – Chikungunya is caused by an alphavirus called chikungunya virus, which is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes. The symptoms of chikungunya are very similar to those of dengue fever, and include fever, headache, joint pain, muscle and bone pain. Though the pain in both infections can be severe, arthritis caused by dengue is of longer duration, with less joint involvement and a more gradual onset than with chikungunya.
There are four species of mosquito that transmit chikugunya: “Aedes aegypti,” found in urban areas throughout the world, “Aedes albopictus,” found in Asia, Europe and the Pacific, “Aedes nigripes” found in Africa and “Aedes iucondtatus,” found in India. According to the CDC, chikungunya can be transmitted when a bite from an infected female mosquito breaks the skin of a human. The most prevalent symptoms are fever and joint pain, although symptoms may include muscle aches and headache as well.
Symptoms – Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is a contagious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms typically develop suddenly the day after exposure to the virus and include fever, muscle pains, general malaise and headaches. In most healthy people, the illness is self-limiting with mild symptoms that resolve in 2–3 days, and absence of fever in the majority. However, infections can also lead to complications such as pneumonia or bacterial co-infections. Complications are more common in people with a weakened immune system and very young children, but they also occur in otherwise healthy adults.
Malaria – Malaria is a disease caused by parasitic protozoan and spread through mosquito bites. This disease has existed on the planet for more than 3,000 years. About 500 different species of malaria exist, but the most deadly are Plasmodium falciparum— the deadliest of all— and Plasmodium vivax, both common in South America. Once infected, this parasite multiplies fast in the liver, such that small numbers of parasites can quickly build up very high concentrations in your blood (from 10 to 20 million parasites per milliliter blood).
Symptoms – Aedes mosquitoes are vectors for dengue fever, Chikungunya and Zika virus. They typically bite during the day. While most disease transmission occurs within a 10-15 km radius, there is evidence that Aedes mosquitoes are capable of spreading viruses over large distances.
If you have noticed any of the above symptoms and think you might be having a case of plague, it is important that you take appropriate precautions, and immediately consult a physician. According to the health department, plague has been confirmed in domestic animals such as dogs, cats, rodents etc. In such cases, it is safe to assume that plague has been spread from animals to humans.