Continued from my question, what do you mean I have Dengue?
Types Of Dengue
Quite calmly and matter-of-factly, my doctor explained to me that I have contracted a dangerous and potentially deadly virus. I admit that it was so matter-of-fact that I didn’t even bother with any theatrics, equally calmly I said Ok and accepted the fact.
However, my mind had already skipped way ahead to ‘Injection time. Nooooo’. This was serious. I interrupted him in mid-speech and asked if I had to get an injection. He smiled his doctorly smile and said, ‘Yes Pastor. 3 and aaahhh, uumm, well, not in your arm either’
WHAT!!!
I’ll skip the rest of that story. Let’s just say I got them 1 per day over the course of 3 days after that – and not in my arm either.
And this brings me to the dangers of this virus. About 4 days later I was able to face the computer and look at the screen with no pain. I got online and started my research. I needed to know how this was going to change my life; any adjustments I needed to make and precautions to take.
What A Dengue Positive Result Mean
Basically, Dengue is a virus. It is called ‘Dengue Fever’ or ‘Breakbone Fever’ because of the high fevers that rack your body and the pain in your joints and deep in your bones. The Dengue virus has 4 strains and two types of manifestations. Huh? This is where most people get lost and so do not have the correct understanding of the dangers of the virus.
Therefore, let me walk you through this with my test result.
I tested positive for Dengue Classic. This was my first infection with the virus. I now have 1 of its 4 strains. This situation is called the classic type of manifestation. Contracting any one of the 4 strains by itself will generally result in this classic type. Still with me?
Now remember I mentioned before that this virus is potentially deadly? Here is why. Once you get this virus – you have it for life. No vaccination is as yet developed to immunize you against it and there is no cure for it. Good news – when you get one strain you are immunized against that one strain for life.
Whoooppeee! But hold on…
Understanding The Dangers Of Dengue
Mother Nature or Father God says not so fast. You are immunized against 1 strain with 3 others out there somewhere. If (or when) you get bitten a second time by another Aedes Aegypti mosquito carrying one of the other 3 strains (any one, doesn’t matter which) that new infection could be fatal.
Re-infection with a new strain of the virus gives you the second type of Dengue manifestation, Dengue Hemorrhagic.
So back to me again. Say I get infected a second time with a different strain of the virus. Wanted Ads are posted all over my defense cells. Before this second strain could even say hello – my defense cells storms off to kill it! And because an old infection is there already, my defense mechanisms go into overdrive – overkill if you prefer. This hyper state eventually causes bleeding, as plasma begin to leak out of blood vessels and eventually either through your pores, or an irritated stomach.
I did not know this. Did you?
This situation is called Dengue Hemorrhagic type of manifestation. You literally begin to hemorrhage, because of the excessive bleeding that occurs in your body. This is where the potentially fatal part comes in. You could literally bleed to death. If caught early, blood transfusions help to reduce the risk of death.
I had a lot of myths and fables to get rid of.
What about you?
Take care and stay alert,
Marvia