Dear Friends,

few days back I had posted a discussion thread about Dengue in Bangalore. Here is the summary of the discussion. Also click this link which gives you detailed information about causes, symptoms and precautions to be taken.

Please contact doctor if you ever doubt you are feeling ill. This post is just to alarm you about Dengue and request you to take all measures to keep your family safe.

Causes

1. Lot of people use a plate under the flower pot to prevent water from leaking and soiling of floor. It is a clean water source best for dengue mosquitoes. They also showed me new eggs ready to become lethal dengue mosquitoes. Place was quickly fumigated. Some other places that they looked for:
2. A little bit of water leftover in a mug/bucket etc for days 
3. Little bit of rain water that gets stuck near slider doors etc
4. Basically, any clean source of static water kept for days is what dengue mosquito loves.
5. If you are working from home, you are at higher risk as dengue mosquitoes are found during day time. 

Precautions

1. Start using mosquito repellants during day time also as Dengue causing mosquitoes are active during day time
2. You have to put a drop of Citronella Oil in each room of your house to ward off mosquitoes.
3. Remove all source of stagnant water where mosquitoes can breed

Hospitals in Bangalore

1. the hospitals should have platelet separation facility
2. Fortis Bannerghatta Road has this facility.
3. Manipal Hospital – Dr.Col Holla
4. Rotary blood bank, Thippasandra
5. Columbia Asia Yashwantpur has this facility
6. Columbia Asia Hebbal does not have platelet separation facility

Symptoms

• High fever, intense head ache, pain behind eyes, muscle and joint pain, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, skin rashes
• If the platelet count shows a trend of falling rapidly, please do not delay admitting in a hospital, preferably a hospital with a blood bank attached. Though I am not a doctor, but as a matter of caution also keep a check on Creatinine level in the Kidneys and SPGO  and SPGT  ( liver function tests) enzyme levels. In my friend’s case these enzyme levels had gone up to 16,000 as against a upper limit of 65 and 40.
• Adequate hydration of the patient is the key to recovery.

blood

• It is correct that for platelets, the type of blood group is immaterial. Any group donor can give blood to the Blood Bank except persons who have diabetes or any other chronic disease. The Bank extracts platelets form the blood and the platelets are transfused to the patient.
• Platelet count is important if it is going to sub 15000 range (Sub 10000 mark, internal body bleeding and organ failures start). That is why doctors ask to donate platelet for emergency purposes. Hence should be monitored cautiously.