Let’s End Dengue Death Together!
If you believe any of these claims about dengue, it’s time for a reality check. They are common misconceptions among Malaysians.
A lot of people are still taking dengue fever lightly, thinking that they will be spared from its severe complications … until they’re not.
Let’s get real.
The reality of dengue fever
First, dengue is NOT just another fever. It is also NOT easy to treat as there is NO specific medication or antiviral available for it.
Therefore, we cannot underestimate it. Even with medical care, dengue can worsen FAST and lead to severe complications and even DEATH.
The numbers don’t lie—dengue deaths are increasing each year!
Reference: Ministry of Health Malaysia
In 2023, 45% of dengue-related deaths occurred among adults aged 20 to 49.
How do we know if we have dengue?
Here’s how you can recognise dengue fever symptoms and severe dengue warning signs.
If you or your family members have ANY of the symptoms and warning signs, please seek immediate treatment. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
Are you at a higher risk of developing severe dengue?
While everyone can develop severe dengue, your risk increases if you:
have had dengue fever before
are obese
have diabetes
have high blood pressure
have asthma
are an elderly or a young child
are pregnant
have kidney disease
But, the good news is, severe dengue and dengue death CAN be prevented.
In fact, international health organisations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and our government are working towards 0% preventable dengue deaths by 2030.
While they are doing their part, we should do our part too! So, what can we, as members of the public, do to help achieve this goal?
Protect yourselves and your loved ones from severe dengue and dengue deaths by taking these four simple steps:
STEP 1: Destroy Aedes breeding grounds
STEP 2: Prevent mosquito bites
STEP 3: Get vaccinated
STEP 4: Seek immediate treatment
Every life is precious. Together, let’s end dengue deaths!
References:
- Ministry of Health (MoH) Malaysia. Kenyataan Media Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia – Situasi Semasa Demam Denggi di Malaysia. Retrieved at: https://www.moh.gov.my/index.php/database_stores/store_view/17
- National Health Service (NHS) of England. Dengue. Retrieved at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dengue/
- U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Symptoms of Dengue and Testing. Retrieved at: https://www.cdc.gov/dengue/signs-symptoms/index.html
- Rathore, A. P., Farouk, F. S., & St John, A. L. (2020). Risk factors and biomarkers of severe dengue. Current opinion in virology, 43, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coviro.2020.06.008
- Tejo, A. M., Hamasaki, D. T., Menezes, L. M., & Ho, Y. L. (2023). Severe dengue in the intensive care unit. Journal of intensive medicine, 4(1), 16–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jointm.2023.07.007
- Machado, C. R., Machado, E. S., Rohloff, R. D., Azevedo, M., Campos, D. P., de Oliveira, R. B., & Brasil, P. (2013). Is pregnancy associated with severe dengue? A review of data from the Rio de Janeiro surveillance information system. PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 7(5), e2217. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0002217
- Awad, A. A., Khatib, M. N., Gaidhane, A. M., Ballal, S., Bansal, P., Srivastava, M., Arora, I., Kumar, M. R., Sinha, A., Rawat, P., Sah, S., Bushi, G., Lakhanpal, S., & Shabil, M. (2024). Predictors of acute kidney injury in dengue patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Virology journal, 21(1), 223. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-024-02488-7