JJ and the Nasty Bastards paying tribute to the beloved Captain Dave. Captain Dave passed on January 21, 2010. Captain Dave owned Bad Boys Beach Bar in Playa del Carmen. Bad Boys is a favorite for expats, locals, and tourists in Playa del Carmen. Rest in Peace Dave.
The bar is still open…more news when it happens.
Dengue Fever (pronounced DENG-gay) is a viral fever transmitted by aedes mosquitoes (the spotted kind) which live in tropical areas of the world. We have not had it, but friends of ours have, and they will tell you it’s no fun. The aedes mosquito prefers to feed during the day, so staying in at night does not help. Playa del Carmen sprays to keep the mosquito population down, but that will not erradicate all of them.
Not every person who is bitten by a mesquito carrying this disease gets sick. It seems to have something to do with how strong one’s immune system is. An infected person cannot spread the infection to other persons. One can only contract the virus from a mosquito bite.
The symptoms, which can range from mild to serious, include a sudden onset of fever with headache and joint pains that may be so severe that another name for Dengue is break-bone fever. There may also be gastritis with some combination of nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea. You may think you have a really bad case of flu. It usually lasts about six to seven days. Near the end of that time, the fever will come up again and a rash will often break out, first on the lower limbs and chest and in some patients, it can spread to cover most of the body. There is also a hemorrhagic version, where the virus causes bleeding. Thankfully, our friends did not have this kind.
There is no cure for this disease and one should treat it much like the flu with increased fluid intake and bed rest. It is very important to avoid aspirin and anti-inflammatory medicines like Advil. These products are often used to treat pain, however in this case, they may actually aggravate the bleeding tendency. If Dengue is suspected, one should take acetaminophen to help lessen the symptoms. Full recovery can take several weeks.
There is no vaccination to prevent this virus, but you can lessen the chances of getting it by using insect repellent containing either NNDB or DEET. If you suspect you have Dengue fever, consult with a physician as soon as possible because there can be some serious side effects with this disease. The hemorrhagic version may require blood transfusions and can be fatal. If you have already had Dengue, you are not immune from getting it again. In fact, one of our friends had it twice in one month.
