Dengue is a viral infection transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes- particularly the Aedes Egypti mosquito which is mostly found in hot places. There have been several outbreaks of Dengue fever in Kenya since the first case in 1982. For instance, according to a report by Reliefweb, in 2021, during an outbreak in the coastal region of Kenya and more than 1,788 cases were reported.
While some infections develop into serious flu-like symptoms requiring medical intervention, more than 80% of infections are not severe and don't show many symptoms. Because of this, it is not known for sure how many cases of Dengue fever there have been in Kenya as many of them did not become serious and, therefore, were never reported.
Dengue is becoming more common worldwide, and about half of the people in the world are now at risk of getting it. According to The World Health Organization, every year, there are somewhere between 100 million to 400 million dengue infections.
Causes/ Transmission
- The Aedes Mosquito bite
Dengue fever is mainly spread by the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes. A mosquito becomes infected when it bites a person who has dengue in his or her blood. After about a week, the mosquito can spread the disease to another person when it bites. These mosquitoes are mainly found in hot places.
- Other ways that Dengue Fever can be spread
Maternal Transmission- There is evidence of the possibility of Dengue fever being passed from a pregnant mother to her baby. This is, however, linked to the timing of infection during pregnancy. Infection during pregnancy may lead to a baby being born with low weight, birth before the baby is due or babies developing health problems before or during labor.
Dengue fever has also been found to be spread through organ donation and blood transfusion, although these are very rare cases.
Dengue cannot be spread directly from one person to another.
How do you know if you or someone else has Dengue Fever?
Dengue fever can start with a high fever lasting for 2-7 days. One may also have:
- Severe headache
- Pain behind the eyes
- Muscle and joint pains
- Nausea-feeling like vomiting
- Vomiting
- Swollen glands
- Rashes
More serious symptoms include:
- Serious pain in the abdomen
- Persistent vomiting
- Faster than normal breathing
- Bleeding gums or nose
- Fatigue/Feeling extremely tired
- Inability to stay calm
- Liver enlargement
- Blood in vomit or stool.
How to detect dengue fever
A doctor or other healthcare provider may suspect Dengue Fever based on how a patient presents, especially if a high fever is accompanied by any other two symptoms of Dengue. Your travel history may also conclude to the suspicion.
Treatment
Dengue Fever has no specific treatment. Besides resting and taking plenty of fluids, treatment includes use of pain killers to manage fever and pain. For more serious cases, patients may be admitted for inpatient care.
Access to proper medical care is key to preventing the infection from becoming more serious.
Prevention
Protection from mosquito bites-use of:
- Mosquito repellants
- Mosquito coils,
- Mosquito nets
- Wearing long-sleeved clothes and long pants to avoid mosquito bites
Reducing mosquitoes in the surroundings
- Clearing the environments where mosquitoes breed/live such as bushes and stagnant water
- Proper disposal of toilet waste
- Covering, emptying and cleaning outdoor water storage containers weekly
- Applying appropriate insecticides to these water storage containers.
Kakuma Health Facilities
| FACILITY | LOCATION |
| Kaapoka Health Centre / Main Hospital | Kakuma 1 |
| Lochangamor Dispensary / Clinic 4 | Kakuma 1 |
| Hong-Kong Dispensary / Clinic 2 | Kakuma 1 |
| Nalemsekon Dispensary/ Clinic 5 | Kakuma 2 |
| Nationokor Dispensary / Clinic 6 | Kakuma 3 |
| Ammusait General Hospital / Clinic 7 | Kakuma 4 |
| Natukubenyo Health Center / Kalobeyei Health centre | Kalobeyei V1 |
| Naregae Dispensary/ Kalobeyei Village 2 Clinic | Kalobeyei V2 |
Dadaab Health facilities:
| FACILITY | LOCATION |
| Red Cross | Ifo Camp -IFO Main Hospital, Health Post 7 & Health Post 1. |
| MSF Hospital | Dagahaley Camp –MSF Main Hospital,Health Post 7 & Health Post 4 |
| Hagadera refugee camp hospital | Hagadera refugee camp –IRC Main Hospital,Health Post E6 & Health Post L6. |
Healthcare services information can be accessed on the Julisha.info service map:
https://www.julisha.info/en-us/categories/1500000107582
To access the service map on the Julisha.info website, click on the "Service Map" option. From there, choose your region, which could be Turkana, Garissa, or Nairobi Counties. After selecting your region, you can further narrow down your search by choosing your specific location to access services available in that area.
For easier access, you can also filter for the services you need by clicking on the "All services" button located on the top right of your screen. This will allow you to focus on the specific healthcare services you require.