Dengue fever can leave consequences; See which ones

It is common for patients with dengue fever to feel body pain, high temperature, and spots on the skin. These symptoms last about 5 to 7 days. However, even after recovery, some symptoms may persist, such as extreme fatigue, muscle and joint pain, as well as skin blemishes.

Infectious disease specialist Joleval Ribeiro points out that people diagnosed with severe dengue fever, called dengue hemorrhagic fever, may continue to have symptoms and suffer sequelae, such as heart failure and myocarditis — an inflammation of the heart muscle tissue. Jollival also mentions that there may be consequences for the brain.

“Depending on the clinical picture of dengue fever, if it is severe, neurological manifestations may appear, for example, memory loss, if the person has inflammation of the brain, and irritability. “All of this can happen in the long term with dengue.”

If a patient develops symptoms weeks after recovery, they should seek medical help. “In people who have had severe dengue fever, these changes can last a long time, or even become a chronic problem. Therefore, anyone who has had dengue fever and develops symptoms after several weeks or months should go to a health service for treatment. Clarification.

Health changes particularly affect patients who have had dengue hemorrhagic fever. Anchieta Hospital tropical disease specialist and infectious disease specialist, Manuel Palacios, explains how classic dengue develops into hemorrhagic fever.

“Dengue fever can develop into dengue hemorrhagic fever, or severe dengue, when there is increased vascular permeability, leading to plasma leakage, severe bleeding and organ failure. He noted that the critical phase, when the patient is most vulnerable, can To last from 24 to 48 hours.

According to Manuel Palacios, symptoms of disease progression usually appear between the third and seventh day and coincide with a decrease in fever. Symptoms are:

Spontaneous bleeding: from the gums, nose and gastrointestinal tract

Severe and continuous abdominal pain

Persistent vomiting

Lethargy or irritability

Dengue fever causes internal dehydration due to fluid loss, which leads to thickening of the blood and shedding of platelets – factors that increase the risk of bleeding, explains Intensive Care Doctor at Santa Marta Hospital, located in Taguatinga Sul in the Federal District, Adele Vasconcelos.

“The development of dengue fever into hemorrhagic fever depends from one organism to another. We consider dengue hemorrhagic fever only if the patient has some type of bleeding, whether it is in the eyes, nose, mouth, urine, feces, and sometimes even in the head or brain attack.

Regarding the consequences of severe dengue, organs such as the heart, kidneys, liver and brain can be affected. The teacher from Jama, in the Federal District, Glaucia Ferreira Matos, 45, fell ill in March this year. She said that in addition to the effect of dengue on her immunity, she was investigating kidney and liver problems.

“Dengue has seriously affected my liver, and therefore my kidneys as well, and I am now undergoing follow-up, blood tests, blood counts, and some more specific tests for monitoring, because I was experiencing symptoms that I had never experienced before in my life,” the teacher says. With dengue fever.

Children, the elderly, pregnant women, those with immunosuppressed diseases (HIV/AIDS, autoimmune diseases, tumors), as well as people with chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and individuals previously infected with a different serotype of dengue virus are at greater risk of infection. Risk of dengue hemorrhagic fever.

Classic dengue fever: high fever, headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, rash (skin spots), and sometimes, mild bleeding from the gums or nose. It usually lasts 5 to 7 days.

After that, the following may persist: extreme fatigue, which can last several weeks; Muscle and joint pain for a few weeks or months. The rash may appear again a few days after the fever stops and last from one to five days;

Progression to dengue hemorrhagic fever: spontaneous bleeding in the gums and nose, abdominal pain, and persistent vomiting. It usually appears between the third and seventh days, coinciding with the subsidence of the fever.

Signs of severe dengue fever: shock, characterized by a weak and rapid pulse, low blood pressure, and cold and clammy extremities; Heavy bleeding (bloody vomiting, dark stools, excessive vaginal bleeding, among others); Weakness of the liver, brain and heart. It may appear 3 to 7 days after symptoms appear (in severe cases);

The Ministry of Health notes that in 2024, the historic progress of the disease in the country led to 10 states and the Federal District declaring a state of emergency.

Goiás: 3,835 hospitalizations from January to June 4, 2024;

Mato Grosso: 1,991 hospitalizations this year (submitted by June 4);

Bahia: 9,958 people hospitalized in 2024 (dispatched by 5 June);

Federal District: 72,615 patients were treated for dengue this year (data as of June 14).

In a survey conducted by the Federation of Hospitals, Clinics and Laboratories of the State of São Paulo (SindHosp), from 3 to 13 May 2024, 96% of hospitals in São Paulo recorded an increase in hospitalizations of patients due to dengue and dengue fever. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

According to a report issued by the World Health Organization, Brazil leads the number of dengue diagnoses and deaths in 2024, with 82% of cases recorded in the world, with 6.3 million probable cases and 3 million laboratory confirmed cases.

Through weekly 10-minute home inspections, residents can eliminate potential breeding sites for the mosquito that transmits dengue, Aedes aegypti, according to the Department of Health. Check out some precautions:

Putting sand in plant pots;

Inspect bottles, tires, gutters and water tanks;

Check the container behind the refrigerator and air conditioner;

Look at plants and dishes that accumulate water;

Tie garbage bags tightly;

Clean your home's gutters well.

For more information about dengue fever and ways to prevent it, visit: www.gov.br/mosquito.

*With information from Agência Brasil 61