Sep 25, 2004
[World News] Dhaka, : When Mahbuba Chowdhury got fever for a day, her microbiologist daughter did not think it a cause for worry.
However, 70-year-old Chowdhury went into shock and died two days later exhibiting typical signs of a new and deadly form of the dengue virus that is claiming lives in the country.
Doctors warn that the virus, suspected by some to be genetically mutated, may have either evolved or been imported into the country, Xinhua reports quoting the New Age daily Saturday.
Experts say an already known 'Type 4' dengue virus or a new form of the virus may be responsible, but it is not possible to confirm without proper virus detection facilities.
The country's Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research is not fully equipped, they say.
The virus is very difficult to diagnose, as patients do not complain of bone-breaking pain or pain around eyeballs, the typical symptoms of dengue fever.
The flu-like symptoms have made diagnosis more difficult.
Though the degree of fever is low, accompanying complications like haemorrhage and shock remain the same, say experts.
Patients also show signs of very low platelet count, typical of the disease.
F.M. Siddiqui, professor of medicine at the Dhaka Medical College, says many dengue patients have concurrently been afflicted with diarrhoea in 2004.
"Diarrhoea and other symptoms the dengue patients displayed are unusual. A new strain of dengue virus may have developed," he says.
--Indo-Asian News Service
http://news.newkerala.com/india-news/?action=fullnews&id=33122