Dengue

My biggest fear coming out here has hit ... Dengue fever ... The only good thing is that it hit me and that it is my first time. Bummer & 2 full days in bed but the doctor was sort of surprized today that I was recovering rather quickly.

Dengue is a viral desease transmitted from human to human by mosquito's. It is an increasing problem in the world and can be deadly for little children and for sugar and astma patients. It is particularly dangerous after the first time. It is prevalent in cities in warmer parts of the world but also even hitting places like New York. It's rainy season in Bangkok now and this is the time when you have to be carefull. There is no vaccine and the only remedy is to avoid getting bitten by mosquito's mainly during the day. This is one of the reasons that Singpore has inspectors that fine you for if they find still standing water on your property ... This is where mosquito's breed.

The incubation time is between 4 and 14 days and I probably had 3-4 mosquito bites in the last 14 days. I guess I was unlucky. The main concerns are dehydration and interenal bleeding as the virus reduces the blood plate levels. If these drop too low (especially after the first instance) hospitalization is necessary because bleeding disorders may occur.

For me it was a mild experience and i'm planning to head back to the office tomorrow. I better wear repellant wherever I go now.