With about half the world’s population living in areas at risk, there are millions of cases of dengue reported each year. Dengue is most common in areas such as Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the western Pacific Islands. Dengue is a virus and is spread to humans through the bite of an infected Aedes species (Ae. aegypti or Ae. albopictus) mosquito. Once you are infected with dengue, you can only treat your symptoms as they appear.

Most people who become sick with the dengue virus should experience a full recovery within a week but it can be a very serious situation for others. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “approximately 100 million people get sick from infection, and 40,000 die from severe dengue.”

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Rabies is an illness that many people fear contracting. But, human cases of rabies are rarely seen. That is, unless you get bit by a rabid animal. In that case, it is important to get treated as soon as you think you have been infected. Rabies is caused by a lyssavirus, which is a type of virus that causes encephalitis – an inflammation of the brain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 59,000 people die annually from rabies.

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Everyone knows flu season is usually during the cold months in fall and winter when most activities are held indoors. This shared air between people allows the flu virus to easily spread to others, causing more numerous cases of the flu to emerge.

If you forget to schedule your annual flu vaccination in the fall, you might think missed the opportunity to be protected for that current flu season. The good news is you can get the flu vaccine pretty much anytime you need it, so it’s never too late to shield yourself from the virus.

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We all have some form of understanding of what a vaccine is and how it is administered. It is typically given through a syringe, usually injected into a muscle, whether that be the arm, thigh, or gluteus. There are some exceptions, as there are oral vaccinations as well. But, there was a time when there was a different kind of vaccination for an epidemic that was affecting children all across the United States, and that illness was polio.

Approximately 60 years ago, polio was sweeping the nation. It was generally contracted through exposure to water that had fecal matter in it, and if ingested, they were at risk for polio, if they were not vaccinated. Children that were affected were even sometimes taken to isolation hospitals, away from their families, where they were treated for the illness. It wasn’t until the mid-1950’s that a vaccine for the disease.

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Despite the COVID-19 pandemic being the center of attention when it comes to health and wellness, some countries are also struggling with other viruses. In Singapore, dengue fever became particularly prominent in 2020, which caused Singapore residents to not only take coronavirus precautions, but precautions against dengue as well.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease that often infects those in tropical regions. Those who develop dengue fever experience muscle pain as the main symptom for about a week.

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