How does Dengue fever compare with other mosquito-born disease like malaria?
Both dengue fever and malaria are mosquito borne illness but there are several difference between the two. Microbe (or the bug that causes infection) • Dengue is caused by four related types of dengue virus (DENV-1 to DENV-4). • Malaria is caused by a protozoan parasite called plasmodium. Plasmodium malariae, P. vivax, P. falciparum and P. ovale are the most important types that cause disease in man. Place • Dengue is predominantly found in urban areas • Malaria is found in mainly in rural and tribal areas. Mosquito: Both the infections are transmitted by mosquito but; • The female anopheles mosquito transmits malarial parasite. • The female Aedes mosquito transmits dengue Symptoms: There are several shared symptoms in malaria and dengue such as fever, joint pains, nausea, which can make diagnosis difficult. But the characteristic symptoms of each disease is different. • Characteristic presentation of malaria includes its cycles of sudden chills, shaking, and fever.
