The dengue vaccine has been one of the greatest advances in medicine. After more than 60 years of research on how to control or reduce the impact of this disease, in 2015 the first artificial immunization was carried out.
The dengue virus is one of the most common infections in the world. HE esteem that, each year, approximately 50 million human infections occur. This leads to about 25,000 deaths annually, mainly in Asia, Africa and South America.
The dengue vaccine has begun to be used in these areaswhere the risk of contracting the disease predominates. Furthermore, it is also used in people who are going to travel to these regions.
What is dengue virus infection?
Dengue is a disease that It is caused by viruses that are part of the family flaviviridae. Within this family there are four varieties different, but very similar to each other, especially on a structural level.
The scientific name of these viruses is: DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3 and DEN-4. The basic fact is this transmission occurs through mosquitoes. That is, mosquitoes are carriers of the virus and vectors; when they bite a person, they inoculate particles.
Most cases are attributable to mosquitoes belonging to the species Aedes aegypti. Another species that can also produce it is A. albopictus. As we pointed out earlier, the contagion occurs mainly in Asia, Latin America and Africa.
This disease is endemic and epidemic in nature. This means that it is typical of those areas and that it also affects many people in a certain place.
These mosquitoes can carry other diseases, such as yellow fever. This represents an increased risk and a serious public health situation for ministries of health in those areas.
What is the clinic of the disease?
The dengue virus causes symptoms in 25% of infected people. The most common symptoms are a feeling of general malaise with fever.. There may be muscle and bone pain, along with a severe headache behind the eye area.
On the other hand, signs may appear gastrointestinalsuch as nausea and vomiting. There is often a rash or small bleeding, such as petechiae or bruising. The gums can even bleed.
The problem is that about 1 in 20 infected people develops a severe form of dengue. What happens is that the person enters a state of shock. It is characterized by severe bleeding, failure of an organ, such as the liver, or difficulty breathing.
The risk of death in these cases is very high, so it is essential to act quickly. Also, dengue serious it can appear in any infected person, regardless of age, gender, or underlying condition.
Why is the dengue vaccine important?
The dengue virus is transmitted only through mosquito bites. This is important to point out, as it is essential to remember this It is not transmitted by oral, sexual or respiratory routes.
When a person has been infected and manages to recover, they gain immunity against the virus. However, as we have pointed out, there are 4 different varieties within the family. Here because, that immunity only works for the specific virus that caused the infection.
So the dengue vaccine is so important. It’s a immunization which was approved in December 2015 and which would be effective against 4 different types of viruses.
What is the dengue vaccine like?
This vaccine is made from live attenuated viruses. This means that a part of the virus is inoculated, but having reduced its ability to produce infection as such. This stimulates the immune system to become active against the particles.
The vaccine has started to be recommended in areas endemic to the virus. It should be given to people between the ages of 9 and 45. for a total of three doses. The second is injected at 6 months and the third at 12 months of the first.
THE essays They claim that the dengue vaccine is effective in people who have previously been infected with the virus, which would be great news. However, there are reservations, and more time of use is needed to clarify its adverse effects and ability to generate a long-term response.
For this reason, although it has meant a great advance, today its feasibility is still being studied to be indicated on a large scale. Indeed, The ideal is to always consult a specialist doctor subject, if we are residents of a country with circulation of the disease, or we travel over there.
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