Recent reports on Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) showing abnormal behaviour is unfounded, said Negombo Dengue Clinical Management Centre Clinical Head Dr. LakKumar Fernando.
Social media users recently circulated posts which stated that DHF was showing a new strain and that it affected children who showed abnormal disease behaviour, making it a challenge to detect and manage the disease.
Dr. Fernando said the pattern of the disease had not changed, but it was the norm to have diseases display unusual manifestations in a small minority of any population.
“All diseases and biological events have a classical presentation that affect the majority and have somewhat unusual manifestations occurring in a small minority. Clinicians should identify these and treat accordingly to the best of their ability,” he said speaking to the Daily News.
Treatment can also turn the disease to be unusual, and with the best treatment, most patients could be saved, he added further. The doctor also said the best method to avoid dengue was for the public to improve their own behaviour and protect themselves from mosquito bites, and for “doctors to improve their clinical management practices, than blame the virus for unusual behaviour.”