How to tell if it’s dengue, Zika or chikungunya

Dengue is an infectious disease caused by a virus transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito that causes certain signs and symptoms, which can last between 2 and 7 days, such as body pain, headache and fatigue, whose intensity can vary from person to person. Person. In addition, dengue can be controlled for red spots on the skin, fever, joint pain, itching and, in the most severe cases, bleeding.

Symptoms of dengue, however, are similar to those of other diseases, such as Zika, Chikungunya and Mayaro, which are also diseases caused by viruses transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, as well as being similar to the symptoms of the virus, measles. hepatitis. Therefore, in the presence of symptoms suggestive of dengue, it is important that the person go to the hospital for tests and check for dengue or other illness, and the most appropriate treatment is installed.

Know the symptoms of dengue

Some of the conditions whose symptoms may be similar to dengue include:

Zika is also a disease that can be transmitted by the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which in this case transmits the Zika virus to the person. In the case of Zika, in addition to dengue symptoms, redness of the eyes and pain around the eyes may also be observed.

Zika symptoms are milder than dengue symptoms and last less than 5 days, however Zika infection is associated with serious complications, especially during pregnancy, which can cause microcephaly, neurological disorders and Guillain-Barré syndrome, in which the nervous system begins to attack the body itself, mainly nerve cells.

Like dengue and Zika, chikungunya is also caused by the bite of Aedes aegypti infected with the virus that causes the disease. However, unlike these other two diseases, Chikungunya symptoms are longer and can last about 15 days, and a loss of appetite and discomfort can also be observed, as well as causing neurological and Guillain-Barre changes.

It is also common for chikungunya joint symptoms to last for months and physical therapy is recommended to relieve symptoms and improve joint movements. Learn how to identify Chikungunya.

Mayaro virus infection is difficult to identify due to the similarity of symptoms to dengue, Zika and chikungunya. Symptoms of this infection can also last about 15 days and, unlike dengue, there are no red spots on the skin, but swelling of the joints. So far, the complication associated with infection with this virus has been an inflammation of the brain, called encephalitis. Understand what Mayaro infection is and how to recognize symptoms.

Virose can be defined as any disease caused by viruses, however, unlike dengue, its symptoms are milder and the infection can be easily fought by the body. The main signs and symptoms of a viral infection are low fever, loss of appetite and pain, which can make the person feel more tired.

When it comes to virosis, it is common to see several other people, especially those who tend to frequent the same environment, with the same signs and symptoms.

Yellow fever is an infectious disease caused by the bite of Aedes aegypti and the bite of the Haemagogus sabethes mosquito and can cause dengue-like symptoms, such as headache, fever and muscle aches.

However, the first symptoms of yellow fever and dengue are different: while in the early stages of yellow fever vomiting and back pain occur, dengue is widespread. In addition, in yellow fever, the person begins to have jaundice, that is, when the skin and eyes turn yellow.

Dengue and measles fever are symptoms of spots on the skin, but measles spots are larger and don’t itch. In addition, as measles progresses, other characteristic symptoms appear, such as sore throat, dry cough and white spots in the mouth, as well as fever, muscle aches and excessive fatigue.

Early symptoms of hepatitis can also be confused with dengue fever, but it’s also common for hepatitis to quickly develop symptoms of liver damage, which is not the case in dengue fever, with changes in urine, skin and stool color. Learn how to identify the main symptoms of hepatitis.

When the person develops symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, drowsiness and fatigue, they should go to the doctor to find out what is going on. During the clinical consultation, it is important to give details such as:

Talking about whether you’ve ever had these symptoms and if you’ve taken medication can also help diagnose what disease it is, facilitating the most appropriate test control and treatment for each case.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *