Dozens of suspected cases of dengue fever have been reported this month in the Lake Chapala corridor between Chapala and Jocotepec, according to local health authorities.
Symptoms may include sudden high fever, severe headaches, pain behind the eyes, intense joint and muscle pain, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, skin rash and mild bleeding that appear four to six days after infection and last for up to ten days.
Among complications that may occur is the more serious include dengue hemorrhagic fever, characterized by high fever, damage to lymph and blood vessels, bleeding from the nose and gums, enlargement of the liver, and failure of the circulatory system.
The illness is caused by a family of viruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes from one infected person to another. Fumigation campaigns are being carried out in some localities.
There is no vaccine available to prevent infection, nor any specific medicine to cure the disease. Treatment generally prescribed by physicians involves bed rest, plentiful fluid intake and pain relievers with acetaminophen. Medications containing aspirin which could worsen bleeding should be avoided.
Blood tests applied to definitively diagnose dengue cases are currently available free of charge at Chapala’s municipal clinic and some other public health facilities.