Health, Safety, and

Environment
 What is Dengue Fever?

 Dengue fever and the more severe

form, dengue hemorrhagic fever,
are caused by any of the four
serotypes of dengue virus (types 1,
2, 3 and 4). An infected day-biting
female Aedes mosquito transmits
the viral disease to humans.
 In the Philippines, Aedes aegypti
and Aedes albopictus are the
primary and secondary mosquito
vectors, respectively.
Where do these mosquitoes breed?

 The mosquito vectors breed in the small

amount of water collected in storages such
as tanks, cisterns, flower vases, plant axils and
backyard litter.
 Signs and Symptoms

 Sudden onset of high fever which may last

from 2 to 7 days.
 Joint & muscle pain, and pain behind the
eyes.
 Weakness
 Skin rashes
 Nose-bleeding when fever starts to subside
 Abdominal pain
 Vomiting of coffee-colored matter
 Dark-colored stools
 Difficulty of breathing.
 Did you know that?

 A total of 69,088 degue

cases were reported
nationwide from January 1 to
July 28,2018. This is 5% lower
compared to the same time
period last year (65, 879).
Figure 1 shows weekly
comparative data of
Reported Dengue cases 2018
vs 5-year average same time
period.
Treatment

 Dengue is a virus, so there is no specific treatment or cure. However,

intervention can help, depending on how severe the disease is.
 For milder forms, treatment includes:
 Preventing dehydration: A high fever and vomiting can dehydrate the
body. The person should drink clean water, ideally bottled rather than tap
water. Rehydration salts can also help replace fluids and minerals.
 Painkillers, such as Tylenol or paracetamol: These can help lower fever
and ease pain.
 Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin or
ibuprofen, are not advised, as they can increase the risk of internal
bleeding.
 Treatment

 More severe forms of dengue

fever may need:
 Intravenous (IV) fluid
supplementation, or drip, if the
person cannot take fluids by
mouth
 blood transfusion, for patients
with severe dehydration
 Hospitalization will allow the
individual to be properly
monitored, in case symptoms
get worse.
 Treatment

 Tawa-tawa (Euphorbia hirta), also known as “gatas-gatas,” is a

hairy herb grown in open grasslands, roadsides and pathways.
This indigenous plant is considered as one of the most popular
folkloric treatment for dengue in the Philippines.
 Intent on finding out the truth behind tawa-tawa’s curative
properties, students of the University of Sto Tomas (UST) – Faculty
of Pharmacy conducted a study entitled “Investigation of the
anti-thrombocytopenic property of euphorbia hirta linn (Tawa-
Tawa) decoction in rat models. The study aimedtoverify the
effects of tawa-tawa decoction to a dengue hemorrhagic
fever (DHF) patient showing a symptom of thrombocytopenia
(low platelet count due to excessive bleeding).
 Based on the results, students concluded that administering
tawa-tawa decoction to animal models help improve their
healing mechanism. Tawa-tawa was able to promote cell
production, and prevents platelet destruction. Likewise, the
improvement in the cell bleeding time and clotting time
provided evidence that the indigenous plant can preserve and
promote the hemostatic function of platelets.
 The students also discovered phenolic compounds in tawa-
tawa, active ingredients suspected to be responsible in the
increased platelet counts of tested animals.
Prevention
Prevention