The common fact between Dengue and Zika is that both the diseases are mosquito borne viruses. Also both are spread by the same Aedes Aegypti mosquito. Dengue is a disease which is commonly known and while Zika did exist from before, its existence was not well known. And Zika is now a household name worldwide. Due to the high number of transmissions it has created in havoc in certain parts of the world especially in Malaysia. Apart from being vector borne disease and having the same vector, both the diseases also do not have any medicine or vaccine. The problem is augmented by the fact that the vector is daytime bitter making it difficult for the population to protect itself from it. Let us look at some basic difference between the two.
Difference in Symptoms
Both the diseases have same symptoms like muscles and joint pain, fever, rashes, headaches and conjunctivitis. The difference lies in duration and severity of the symptoms. Duration wise Zika symptoms lasts for few days or sometimes may stretch over weeks and then the symptoms may subside. But in dengue, the symptoms may go on for days and weeks before they subside. This long duration of the symptoms sometimes may lead to bruising and bleeding. Due to which the patient may need to be hospitalised. In absence of critical medical attention the dengue fever may prove to be fatal and dangerous. On the other hand, Zika symptoms are manageable at home with proper care and may not require hospitalization.
Disease Transmission
Both the diseases are borne by Aedes Aegypti and this mosquito is also responsible for transmitting this disease from one person to another. Mosquito bite being the primary cause of infection, the best way to combat the infection is reduction of mosquitoes and prevention of mosquito bites. Another transmission elements has come to light for the Zika virus, which is through blood transfusion and sex. Thus it becomes important to be careful during blood transfusions and sex if the Zika virus is doing the community rounds.
Disease Complications
Dengue is not known to have any complications during the disease course. The basic requirement in dengue fever is good clinical care. Zika has two possible complications as the outcome of the virus infection, the first being, Microcephaly. The other complication associated with the Zika virus is Guillain-Barre syndrome. Dengue doe not present any associated or similar complications. Thus Zika virus can have long term infection related complications. Also it is been found that unborn babies are at risks with the Zika virus. This makes it important for the pregnant women to take extra precautions when living in an affected community or travelling to the affected areas.
Disease control
Both Dengue and Zika can be controlled by the taking of the right disease control measures. The first step is reduction of opportunities for Aedes to thrive in the community. This can be done by eliminating favourable breeding conditions like stagnant water collection. Once the infestation is widespread, protection of doors and windows can prevent the mosquito from entering the house and keep the vector at bay. Also the infected water can be treated with chemical repellents for vector control.
To stop the spread of zika and dengue fever in Malaysia, Ridpest offers mosquito breeding control methods for homes and commercial spaces. Get your property treated to keep pests out. To know more about Ridpest solutions, visit http://www.ridpest.com
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