Algal bloom

 

An algal bloom or marine bloom or water bloom is a rapid increase in the population of algae in an aquatic system.

Algal blooms may occur in freshwater as well as marine environments.

Typically only one or a few phytoplankton species are involved and some blooms may be recognized by discoloration of the water resulting from the high density of pigmented cells.

Although there is no officially recognized threshold level, algae can be considered to be blooming at concentrations of hundreds to thousands of cells per milliliter, depending on the causative species.

Algal bloom concentrations may reach millions of cells per milliliter.

Colors observed are green, yellowish-brown, or red.

Bright green blooms may also occur.

These are a result of blue-green algae, which are actually bacteria (cyanobacteria). Some algal blooms are the result of an excess of nutrients (particularly phosphorus and nitrogen) into waters and higher concentrations of these nutrients in water cause increased growth of algae and green plants.

As more algae and plants grow, others die.

This dead organic matter becomes food for bacteria that decompose it.

With more food available, the bacteria increase in number and use up the dissolved oxygen in the water.

When the dissolved oxygen content decreases, many fish and aquatic insects cannot survive.

This results in a dead area. Algal blooms may also be of concern as some species of algae produce neurotoxins.
At the high cell concentrations reached during some blooms, these toxins may have severe biological impacts on wildlife.Algal blooms composed of phytoplankters known to naturally produce biotoxins are often called Harmful Algal Blooms, or HABs.

New Delhi Pictures

Discover India

New Delhi pronunciation, an urban area within the metropolis of Delhi, is the capital city of the Republic of India and the seat of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi.

Delhi is a spacious, open city that houses many government buildings and embassies, apart from places of historical interest. Notable attractions in New Delhi include the Rashtrapati Bhawan, the official residence of the President of India, the India Gate, a memorial raised in honour of the Indian soldiers martyred during the Afghan Wars and World War I, the Laxminarayan Temple, one of the most visited Vaishnavite temples, the Swaminarayan Akshardham temple, the Humayun's Tomb, the Purana Quila, built by Humayun, with later-day modifications by Sher Shah Suri, the Tughlaqabad fort, a 14th century fort on the outskirts of the city, the Qutab Minar, built by Qutb-ud-din Aybak of the Slave Dynasty and the lotus-shaped Bahá'í House of Worship.

Lotus Temple Delhi

Lotus Temple Delhi

Parliament House

Qutub Minar

Rajpath

Tughlaqabad Fort

Humayuns Tomb

India Gate

Delhi Metro

Raj Ghat - Mahatma Gandhi Samadhi

Raj Ghat - Mahatma Gandhi Samadhi

Shantivan - Nehru Samadhi

Red Fort

What happens if the US government shuts down?

• VICTORIA CRAW and AAP
• news.com.au
• October 01, 2013 6:52PM

The US government is on the verge of a shutdown in a battle over Obamacare. Picture: AFP, Brendan Smialowski

FOR the first time in nearly two decades, the US government will shut down after Republicans and Democrats failed to reach an agreement over how to fund the country.

The White House budget office will notify federal agencies to cancel all non-essential services, after Congress failed to approve short-term funding measures before the midnight deadline.
It means the jobs of around 800,000 workers will be "furloughed" - a temporary leave of absence due to special circumstances - while international icons like the Statue of Liberty, Grand Canyon and Smithsonian Institution will close their doors to the public.
President Obama has told members of the military he will work to get Congress to re-open the government as soon as possible, as the "shutdown will have a very real economic impact on real people, right away."
So how did it come to this?
The US is in this situation because of a seemingly intractable deadlock over policy.
The Democrat-led Senate and Republican led-House have clashed over President Barack Obama's landmark healthcare bill, known as Obamacare. Republicans will only agree to approve a temporary spending bill in exchange for concessions on the healthcare law, which they view as wasteful and oppressive as it requires most Americans to have health insurance.
However despite two votes late on Monday evening US time, they failed to reach a resolution and federal agencies have been notified they should implement plans for a shut down.
It's the first time this has happened in 17 years, forcing about 800,000 people off the job and rattling financial markets around the world.

President Barack Obama said a shutdown would throw a wrench into the gears of US economy. Picture: AP Photo, Pablo Martinez Monsivais

How did it get this bad?
In the US, the legislative part of government (as opposed to the President) controls the purse strings. Technically, Congress should have passed a budget to fund the government for the next year on September 30, but recently this has been done in a series of short-term budgets known as "continuing resolutions" which are increasingly used as points of negotiation as the political scene becomes more polarised.
Both sides used the deadline to get their point across - even though parts of the Obamacare plan will be implemented on Tuesday whether the government closes or not.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has indicated the U.S. Senate will not consider the legislation as passed by the House. Picture: Win McNamee, Getty Images.

What does it mean?
The shutdown means all "non-essential staff" - about 800,000 of the total 2.1 million-strong federal workforce - will stay home in a temporary leave of abscence known as a 'furlough.'
Here's how it would affect certain sectors:
• The White House and Congress: Facilities will remain open, although both are likely to lose some staff. Some US lawmakers, like Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, have pledged to return their salaries to the Treasury or donate them to charity.
• Museums and Parks: Smithsonian museums and all 368 sites in the National Park Service system will close.
• National icons: Major national parks like Yellowstone, the Statue of Liberty, the Grand Canyon and Philadelphia's Independence National Historical Park, home of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, will be off limits.
Plenty of other services will be affected such as clinical research trials, some pension payments, airline complaints, food safety inspections, mortgage processing, even weddings and the Puppy Press Conference will be called off, the Atlantic reports.

What happened last time?
Despite the turmoil, it's not the first time this has happened.
The government shut down for 21 days under President Bill Clinton in mid-December 1995, after he faced off with the Republican-controlled Congress who wanted to limit the growth of Medicare.
The shutdown took the public by surprise and suspended all non-essential services. Patients were not accepted into clinical research trials, calls to disease hotlines went unanswered and there were delays processing firearms licenses and child support cases. Washington was the focus of embarrassment as it stopped garbage collections. Now, Mayor Vincent Gray says he will declare all city employees "essential personnel'' in event of a shutdown, and use a contingency cash reserve fund to pay wages.
Nearly 400 national parks were closed, losing seven million visitors and plenty of revenue for local communities. There were also two million fewer people visiting national monuments and 20,000-30,000 visa applications went unprocessed each day. Federal contractors lost about $18 billion in contract deals and veteran services were also curtailed.

Attractions like the Statue of Liberty would remain closed. Picture: Spencer Platt, Getty Images.

Who else does it affect?
The stock market dropped amid news of the shutdown, though analysts suggested significant damage to the national economy was unlikely unless it lasted more than a few days.
Investors are also keeping themselves braced for an even bigger meltdown on October 17, when the government will face its deadline on the national debt ceiling.
Events in the US are crucial because they are the bedrock that nearly every other investment is built upon, largely due to the assumption that the nation will always pay its debts.
"The concern is government has become so polarised that if it cannot pass (a budget), there's a greater chance that the debt ceiling battle will go to the brink or possibly lead to a default," said Alec Young, global equity strategist with Standard & Poor's Capital IQ.
The last time the debt ceiling had to be negotiated in 2011, Standard & Poor's took the unprecedented step of downgrading the US credit rating.

The brinkmanship has thrown markets into turmoil. Picture: Spencer Platt, Getty Images.

What happens next?
President Obama has addressed the military to tell them he will work to reopen the government as soon as possible.
In a three-minute video in which there was no mention of Republicans, Obama said Congress has not fulfilled its repsonsiblity.
"It has failed to pass a budget and, as a result, much of our government must now shut down until Congress funds it again," he said.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, responded: "The American people don't want a shutdown and neither do I," he said. Yet, he added, the new health care law "is having a devastating impact. ... Something has to be done."

H. Jackson Brown Jr.

STATE PROFILE-ANDHRA PRADESH

STATE PROFILE-ANDHRA PRADESH

  1)  POPULATION

  2)  VITAL STATISTICS AND PUBLIC HEALTH

  3)  CLIMATE

  4)  AGRICULTURE

  5)  IRRIGATION

  6)  LIVESTOCK AND FISHERIES

  7)  FORESTS

  8)  INDUSTRIES

  9)  MINING

10)  FUEL  AND POWER

11)  TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS

12)  PUBLIC FINANCE

13)  STATE ECONOMY

14)  JOINT STOCK COMPANIES

15)  BANKS

16)  PRICES
17)  WAGES
18)  LABOUR AND LABOUR WELFARE
19)  EDUCATION
20)  ECONOMIC CENSUS
21)  PLAN EXPENDITURE
22)  LOCAL BODIES
23)  JUDICIAL
24)  POLICE AND CRIME
25)  TOURISM
26)  MISCELLANEOUS
27)  COMPARATIVE STATISTICS (A.P - INDIA)

 28) COMPARATIVE STATISTICS (STATES)

 29)  ALL INDIA

Geography of South Africa,...the lay of our land.

The main feature is an immense high plateau covering most of the country, encircled by the second feature, the coastal lowland regions.
The third one consists of a series of mountain ranges rising quite abruptly along the inland perimeter of the coastal lowlands, separating them from the high plateau.
This last one is well-known as The Great Escarpment, with mountain heights ranging from 2,000 to 3.300 meters.
The interior highlands of South Africa are part of the African plateau extending north right up to the Sahara desert regions.
With its total land area of 1,219,090 kilometers South Africa is one-eights the size of the US and one-third the size of Europe and.

The Name	The Location	The Land	The Boundaries
The Administration	The Coastline	The Rivers	The Lakes

Rainbow over Waenhuiskrans
Photograph by: Steve Crane - Geography of South Africa The Name...
What is in a name?....one could ask. In South Africa the answer could be: "a rainbow". A rainbow of 11 different official languages and 7 different ways of saying "South Africa".

• English = South Africa
• Southern Sotho = Afrika Borwa
• Northern Sotho = Afrika Borwa
• Tswana = Afrika Borwa
• Xhosa = Mzantsi Afrika
• Zulu = Ningizimu Afrika
• Swati = Ningizimu Afrika
• ndebele = Ningizimu Afrika
• Venda = Afurika Tshipembe
• Tsonga = Afrika Dzonga
• Afrikaans = Suid Afrika

The official name is of course REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA.
Official abbreviation: RSA
Short abbreviation: SA
Noun and adjective: SOUTH AFRICAN(S)
The ISO country code is: ZA
Internet country code is: .CO.ZA
Learn more about the geography of South Africa watching this video The Location...
You will find South Africa at the southern tip of the African continent, stretching north to south for approximately 1,600 km (994 mi) between 22 and 35 degrees latitude, and east to west also for about 1,600 km (994 mi) between 17 and 33 degrees longitude.
The Tropic of Capricorn slices through the extreme north of the country at 23 degrees 26’ 22” latitude.
The interactive possibilities of the map below are quite stunning. Put the cursor of your mouse on any spot on the map you like to explore and follow the instructions underneath the map.
You will be able to zoom in on the major towns and cities as close as street level. If you then click on the map button in the right hand
Interactive map of South Africa
Geography of South Africa
Tips for navigating the map.

• The three buttons at the right-hand top corner of the map allow you to view either the geographical map, the satellite picture or a combination of both.


• The button cluster in the left hand top corner will enable you to zoom in or out. On the map you can use the PLUS (+) key to Zoom In for more detail, or the MINUS (-) key to Zoom Out for a bigger picture of the region in relation to the rest of South Africa.


• Alternatively, put the cursor on a spot on the map you want to explore and double click with the right hand mouse button again and again, keeping the cursor on the same spot.


• You will also be able to move the map left and right and up and down by clicking the left-hand mouse button and moving the cursor on the map.


• Click on the refresh button of your browser to return to the original map.

Come face to face with
an amazing variety of South Africa's animals and scenery in this video The Land...
South Africa's entire land surface comprises 1,219,912 sq km (460,693 sq mi), 40 percent of it lies 1210 m (3970 ft) above sea level with as highest point Mount Njesuthi in the Drakensberg mountains at 3,446 m (11,396 ft) above sea level.
Included are the Marion and Prince Edward islands which became part of South Africa in 1947 and are situated in the Atlantic ocean 1,920 km (1,193 mi) south-east of cape Town.
All together it makes South Africa the 26th largest country in the world. But to get a better idea, think in terms of the combined size of France, Italy, Germany, Holland and Belgium together or for our American visitors two times the size of the State of Texas.
Satellite view of South Africa showing the major topographic features
(Click on the picture to enlarge, then click on it again to enlarge it even further)
The Boundaries...
Besides a coastline of 2,798 km (1,738 mi) with the Atlantic ocean to the west and the Indian ocean to the east, South Africa has common borders with the republics of Zimbabwe 225 km (139 mi), Mozambique 491 km (305 mi), Namibia 967 km (600 mi), Botswana 1,840 km (1,143 mi) and the kingdoms of Lesotho 909 km (564 mi), and Swaziland 430 km (267 mi).
The kingdom of Lesotho is an enclave within South African territory. The same applies for the kingdom of Swaziland, except for a small stretch of border that it has with Mozambique. It all adds up to a total inland boundary of 4,872 km (3,027 mi), and a total circumference of our country of 5,331 km (3,312 mi).
Map of South Africa showing its boundaries
Geography of South Africa
The Administration...
South Africa has nine provinces and three capitals.
The provinces each with its provincial capital are, Gauteng and Johannesburg (7), Limpopo and Polokwane (9), Mpumalanga and Nelspruit (8), North-West province and Mmabatho (6), Free State and Bloemfontein (5), Eastern Cape and Bisho (3), Northern Cape and Kimberley (2), Western Cape and Cape Town (1) and Kwazulu-Natal and Pietermaritzburg (4). The numbers correspond with those on the map below.
The national capitals are, Pretoria (administrative capital), Cape Town (legislative capital) and Bloemfontein (judicial capital).
Map of South Africa showing the country's provincial structure


Geography of South Africa, find more maps The Coastline...
South Africa's coastline of 2,798 (1,738 mi) features only a small number of bays and but one natural harbor, Saldanha Bay in the Western Cape.
The other major ports, following the coastline clockwise are Richardsbay and Durban in Kwazulu-Natal, East London, Port Elizabeth and Mosselbay in the Eastern Cape and Cape Town in the Western cape. A total of 98 % of all South Africa's exports are conveyed by sea through these seven ports.
The two most distinctive promontories on our country's coastline are the Cape peninsula, with the Cape of Good Hope at its southern tip and Cape Agulhas at the most southern tip of the African continent. Cape Agulhas is the place where the two oceans, the Atlantic ocean and the Indian ocean, meet.
Wilderness beach near GeorgeGeography of South Africa
The Rivers...
The Orange, Vaal and Limpopo are the three main rivers in South Africa. The longest of the three is the Orange river, which has its source in the Kingdom of Lesotho where it is called the Senqu river. With its westernmost section forming the border with Namibia, it flows north-west for about 2,100km (1,300 mi) towards the Atlantic ocean.
The Vaal river has its origin in the Drakensberg mountains in the Mpumalanga province. It is 1,120 km (695 mi) long and flows south west to where it unites with the Orange river of which it a tributary.
The Limpopo river rises in the Witwatersrand region of South Africa, where it is called the Crocodile river. It flows in a circular route of about 1,700 km (1,056 mi), first to the Botswana border in the north east, where it turns east forming the border with Botswana and Zimbabwe to where it enters the country of Mozambique, finally emptying itself in the Indian ocean.
The mighty Orange river flowing wide and slowly below the Vanderkloof Dam
copyright © South African tourism - South Africa Geography
The Lakes...
The only natural lake to be found in South Africa is the Fundudzi Lake which is situated in the Soutpansberg mountains in the far north-east of the Limpopo province. Besides Fundudzi there are no true natural inland lakes of any significance in South Africa. Rivers are the main source of water.
What you will find in our country are many large artificial lakes or dams for the storage of the country's water supplies. They are formed by constructing huge dam walls in the flow of rivers to regulate their natural variable flow and the transfer of water between catchment areas.
There are 26 major dams in South Africa, ranging in capacity from the Gariep dam in the Free State at 5,341 million cubic metres, down to the Midmar dam in Kwazulu-natal at 175 million cubic meters.
Hartbeespoort Dam, a lake of great scenic beauty, is situated west of Pretoria
copyright © South African tourism - Geography of South Africa

Settlement of the black people in South Africa

Traditional Zulu witchdoctor throwing bones
copyright © South African tourism - Black People in South Africa, Black Population in South Africa The black people in South Africa arrived in the country from A.D. 300 onward, during the Southern Migration.

Today they consist of 9 different nations or ethnic groups, representing the vast majority of the population in South Africa

They are devided into 4 language groups, of which the Nguni speaking people form a major part.

Other main language groups in South Africa are the Sotho, the Venda and the Shangaan-Tsonga.
The Nguni people,...

The Nguni group migrated along the eastern part of southern Africa in their southward move from central Africa. Some groups split off and settled along the way, while others kept going. Thus, the following settlement pattern formed: the Swazi in the north, the Zulu towards the east and the Xhosa in the south. Owing to the fact that these people had a common origin, their languages and cultures show marked similarities.



The Xhosa,...


Xhosa lady enjoying her pipe at the lesedi cultural village
copyright © South African tourism - Black People in South Africa, Black Population in South Africa
The first Xhosa tribes arrived in the 14th century in the area known as the Transkei. At first, they settled in this area but, in time, moved further southwards until they met up with the white settlers at the Fish River, in 1788. At this point, the Xhosa had already been living in the area near the Fish River for more than a hundred years.

In their move to the Fish River, clashes with the Khoi people (Hottentots) often occurred, but they eventually defeated the Khoi. Many of the Xhosa tribes chose to settle along the south-eastern coast of Africa. The Xhosa people consisted of two main groups of tribes, the Thembu and the Mpondo. Some other Xhosa tribes such as the Fingo, Bhaca, Nhlangwini and Xesibe chose to settle in the eastern part of the Transkei.



The Zulu,...


Young Zulu couple
copyright © South African tourism - Black People in South Africa, Black Population in South Africa
While the Xhosa tribes migrated to the Transkei and the Ciskei, other Nguni tribes such as the Zulu, chose to remain in Natal. In 1806, there were a large number of tribes in the area and there were four important and well-known ones.

The Zulu tribe which, during the early nineteenth century, was only a small tribe, had settled between the Umhlatuse and the Umfolozi Rivers. The tribe’s first leader was Malandela and the tribe was named after his son Zulu.

The Mtethwa tribe lived east of the Zulu and was a strong tribe under a strong leader called Dingiswayo. The Qwabe tribe lived south of the Mtethwa and its first leader was called Phakatwayo. The Ndandwe tribe was also powerful and its first leader was named Zwide. The Ndandwe lived north of the Mtethwa.

The Ndebele,...


Two Ndebele ladies with their toddlers
copyright © South African tourism - Black People in South Africa, Black Population in South Africa
Some Nguni groups migrated from KwaZulu-Natal to Transvaal in the middle of the 17th century. The Ndebele constituted two important groups. The northern group settled in the area around the towns today known as Polokwane (Pietersburg) and Mokopane (Potgietersrus). Intermingling between them and the North Sotho took place and this ultimately caused language changes. Important tribes constituting this section of the Ndebele are the Langa and the Moletlana.

The southern group of the Ndebele people migrated to the southern part of the Transvaal under the leadership of their chief Msi. After Msi died, his two sons, Manala and Ndzundza, founded two tribes and split up the southern section of the Ndebele people. They settled in the districts around the towns today known as Middelburg (Transvaal), Bronkhorstspruit, Bethal and Belfast. These tribes became known as the Manala and Ndzundza, after their founders.



The Swazi,...


Swazi maidens performing the annual Reed Dance to pay homage to their King and the Queen mother
copyright © South African tourism - Black People in South Africa, Black Population in South Africa
During the 19th century, Swaziland was home not only to Nguni tribes but also to Sotho tribes. The Ngwane tribe under the leadership of paramount chief Sobhuza became very strong after 1820. Mswazi, who ruled from 1840 until 1875, succeeded him and incorporated the Sotho tribes into his tribe or drove them out of the area.

These changes made the Swazi nation take shape and the new nation was called after its founder. Small groups of Swazi people trekked across the border into the Transvaal. These groups constituted tribes such as the Nkosi, Shongwe and Khumalo who today live in the districts of Barberton and Nelspruit. The Hhlatyawako live in the districts of Paul Pietersburg and Piet Retief, together with some other Swazi tribes.



The Venda people,...


Venda ladies at the entrance of a cultural village
copyright © South African tourism - Black People in South Africa, Black Population in South Africa
During the 16th century, the Venda migrated from central Africa to the area between the Soutpansberg Mountains and the Limpopo River. Some of them initially lived south of the Soutpansberg, but today they live mainly to the north of the Soutpansberg mountains in the districts known as Louis Trichardt and Sibasa. This area is called Venda. The most important Venda section is the Mphephu. One of the smaller sections of the Venda is known as the Lemba.



The Sotho people,...


Cheerful Northern Sotho (BaPedi) lady
copyright © South African tourism - Black People in South Africa, Black Population in South Africa
While the Nguni group, living in the eastern parts of the country, was moving southwards, the Sotho group, which was living at the edge of the Kalahari, was doing the same. This sporadic movement to the south took place before the year 1600.

These people had originally also come from the area around the Great Lakes incentral Africa. One of the most important tribes was the Kgalagadi who settled in Botswana.Other Sotho groups migrated as far as the Orange River.

During the Mfecane/Difaqane (displacement of black peoples due to intertribal warring and hunger) the Sotho suffered greatly under other tribes with leaders such as Mzilikazi and Mmantatise. The Sotho ethnic group is today divided into three main groups: the Western Sotho (Botswana), Southern Sotho (Basotho) and Northern Sotho (BaPedi).



The Northern Sotho (Bapedi),...


Northern Sotho (BaPedi) youngster playing his homemade guitar
copyright © South African tourism - Black People in South Africa, Black Population in South Africa
Certain tribes that initially formed part of the Bakgatla are today part of the Northern Sotho. They can be found in the areas formerly known as Sekhukhuneland and the Pokwani district. These tribes defeated other tribes who used to live there and after that, a strong tribe was built up by Thulare and Malekuta.

They are commonly known as the BaPedi. Mzilikazi often attacked the BaPedi during the Mfecane. The most important Northern Sotho tribes are the Pedi, Koni, Phalaborwa, Lobedu and Kutswe. They mainly live in areas of Northern Transvaal and North-Eastern Transvaal.



The Southern Sotho (Basotho),...


Southern Sotho (Basotho) ladies
copyright © South African tourism - Black People in South Africa, Black Population in South Africa
Prior to the Mfecane, many independent tribes lived in Lesotho and the eastern Free State. These people were related to the Batswana (Tswana people) and Sotho people who lived in Swaziland. They suffered greatly during the Mfecane and many of them were either driven away or killed.

However, many of these fugitives found refuge with Moshweshwe’s tribe and in this manner, a strong nation was built. Today this group lives mainly in Lesotho and the eastern part of the Free State. Smaller groups are also found at Griqualand East, Thaba Nchu and Nqamakwe. The most significant tribes are the Kwena, Kgatla, Tlekoa, Taung, Tebele and Vundle.



The Western Sotho,...

The Kgalagadi, initially the main tribe, gave life to the Kwena, which divided into a large number of tribes. The Western Sotho live primarily in the area of Bophuthatswana. The most important tribes belonging to this group are the Tswana, Kwena, Kgatla, Tlhaping, Tlharo, Rolong and Ngwato.

The Shangaan-Tsonga people,...


Village life in a Tsonga cultural village
copyright © South African tourism - Black People in South Africa, Black Population in South Africa
During the Mfecane, Soshangane, together with a part of Zwide’s tribe, fled to Mozambique. He oppressed the Tsonga who were already living in the area, some of whom chose to flee across the Lebombo Mountains into the Northern Transvaal.

Their descendants now live in the districts of Pilgrims Rest, Leydsdorp, Tzaneen, Duiwelskloof, Sibasa and Louis Trichardt. Some Tsonga tribes are the Nhlangu, Nkuna and Tembe. The most significant tribes belonging to the Shangaans are the Tulilamahashe, Shangana and Nkuna

Dengue Fever

 

Dengue Fever
♦ What is it ? Dengue fever is a common communicable disease characterized by occurrence of high fever, severe body aches and intense headache. It is a very common disease that occurs in epidemic form from time to time. Delhi and parts of North India experienced a large number of cases of Dengue in 1996, 2003 and 2006. The disease is quite severe in young children as compared to adults.

It is a disease which occurs throughout the world except in Europe and affects a large number of people. For example, it is estimated that every year, 2 crore cases of Dengue fever occur in the world. Death rate varies from 5 per 100 cases to 30 per 100 cases.

♦ Cause ? It is caused by a virus (Dengue Virus) which has got four different types (Type 1,2,3,4). Common name of the disease is ‘break-bone fever’ "(Haddi Tod Bukhar)" because of severe body and joint pains produced.

♦ Spread Just like in Malaria, Dengue fever is also spread by bites of mosquitoes. In this case, the mosquitoes are “Aedes” mosquitoes which are very tough and bold mosquitoes and bite even during day time.

This disease occurs more frequently in the rainy season and immediately afterwards (July to October) in India.

The Dengue virus is present in the blood of the patient suffering from Dengue fever. Whenever an Aedes mosquito bites a patient of Dengue fever, it sucks blood and along with it, the Dengue virus into its body. The virus undergoes further development in the body of the mosquito for a few days. When the virus containing mosquito bites a normal human being, the virus is injected into the person’s body and he/she becomes infected and can develop symptoms of Dengue fever.

♦ Incubation Period It means the time between bite of an infected mosquito and appearance of symptoms of dengue fever in the bitten person. Commonly, it is 5-6 days. However it can vary from 3-10 days.

♦ Symptoms of the disease Symptoms depend upon the type of Dengue fever. There are three types of Dengue fever-

1. Classical (Simple) Dengue Fever
2. Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF)
3. Dengue Shock Syndrome (DSS)

The classical (Simple) Dengue fever is a self-limiting disease and does not kill. However, the other types (i.e. DHF & DSS) can prove fatal if prompt treatment is not started.

It is important to recognise whether Dengue Fever is Simple or DHF or DSS. The following symptoms will help in diagnosis –

1. Classical (Simple) Dengue Fever :

• Sudden onset of high fever with feeling of chills (“Thandi Lagna”).
• Severe Headache, Pains in muscles and joints.
• Pain behind the eyeballs especially on pressing the eyes or on moving the eyeballs.
• Extreme weakness, loss of appetite, feeling of nausea.
• Change in taste sensations in mouth.
• Pain in abdomen by itself or on touching.
• Mild pain in throat.
• Patient feels generally depressed and very sick.
• Rash on the skin : Pinkish red rash appears on the skin in the form of diffuse flushing, mottling or pinhead eruptions on the face, neck and chest. Later on, the rash may become more prominent. The entire duration of Classical Dengue fever lasts for about 5-7 days and the patient recovers.

2. Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever – (DHF)It should be suspected if with above mentioned symptoms of Classical (Simple) Dengue Fever, one or more of the following symptoms appear –

• Bleeding (haemorrhagic) manifestations : Bleeding from nose, gums, blood in the stools or in vomiting, bleeding spots on the skin which are seen as dark bluish-black, small or large patches. If a health worker carries out a Tourniquet Test, it is positive. Certain laboratory investigations carried out on a blood sample also confirm DHF.

3. Dengue Shock Syndrome (DSS) All symptoms as mentioned above in DHF are present plus the patient also develops a condition called ‘shock’. Symptoms of shock in a Dengue Fever case are –

• The person is very restless and the skin feels cold and clammy despite high fever.
• The person may start losing consciousness.
• If you examine the pulse rate of the patient, it is weak and rapid. Similarly, blood pressure will be low.

♦ TreatmentIf it is classical (simple) Dengue Fever, the patient can be managed at home. As it is a self-limiting disease, the treatment is purely supportive and symptomatic –

e.g. –

• Keep the fever low by giving paracetamol tablet or syrup as per health worker’s advise.
• Avoid giving Aspirin or Dispirin tablets to the patient
• If fever is more than 102°F, carry out hydrotherapy to bring down the temperature.
• Give plenty of fluids water, shikanji etc. to the patient.
• Continue normal feeding. In fever, the body, infact, requires more food.
• Allow the patient to rest.

If any of the symptoms indicative of DHF or DSS develop, rush the patient to the nearest hospital at the earliest where appropriate investigations will be carried out and necessary treatment instituted, e.g., transfusion of fluids or platelets (a kind of blood cells which become low in DHF and DSS). Please remember that every patient does not require blood platelet transfusion.

♦ PreventionPrevention of Dengue Fever is easy, cheap and better. What is required are some simple measures for –

• Preventing breeding of Aedes mosquitoes
• Protection from Aedes mosquitoes’ bites.

For protection against mosquitoes – 1. Mosquitoes breed only in water sources such as stagnant water in drains and ditches, room air coolers, broken bottles, old discarded tyres, containers and similar sources.

• Don’t allow water to remain stagnant in and around your house. Fill the ditches. Clean the blocked drains. Empty the room air coolers and flower vases completely atleast once in seven days and let them dry. Dispose off old containers, tins and tyres etc. properly.
• Keep the water tanks and water containers tightly covered so that the mosquitoes can not enter them and start breeding.
• Wherever it is not possible to completely drain the water off from room cooler, water tanks etc., it is advised to put about two tablespoons (30 ml.) of petrol or kerosene oil into them for each 100 litres of water. This will prevent mosquito breeding. Repeat it every week.
• You can also put some types of small fish (Gambusia, Lebister) which eat mosquito larvae into these water collections. These fish can be obtained from the local administrative bodies (e.g., Malaria Officer’s office in the area).
• Wherever possible, practicable and affordable, prevent entry of mosquitoes into the house by keeping wire mesh on windows and doors.
• Use mosquito repellent sprays, creams, coils, mats or liquids to drive away/ kill the mosquitoes. Use of googal smoke is a good indigenous method for getting rid of mosquitoes.
• Wear clothes which cover the body as much as possible. This is more relevant in case of children. Nickers and T-shirts are better avoided during the season of Malaria and Dengue fever, i.e., from July to October.
• Don’t turn away spray workers whenever they come to spray your house. It is in your own interest to get the house sprayed.
• Use insecticidal sprays in all areas within the house atleast once a week. Don’t forget to spray behind the photo-frames, curtains, calendars; corners of house, stores.
• Keep the surroundings of your house clean. Don’t litter garbage. Don’t allow wild herbs etc. to grow around your house (atleast in a radius of about 100 metres around your house). They act as hiding and resting places for mosquitoes.
• Do inform and take help from your local health centre, panchayat or municipality in case you notice abnormal density of mosquitoes or too many cases of fever are occurring in your area.
• If fencing of the doors and windows is not possible due to any reason, spray the entire house daily with pyrethrum solution.
• Dengue fever occurs most frequently in India in the months of July to October because this season provides very suitable conditions for breeding of mosquitoes. Hence all these preventive steps must be taken during the season.
• Lastly, it is advisable to always keep the patient of Dengue fever under a mosquito net in the first 5-6 days of the illness so that mosquitoes don’t have an access to him/her. This will help in reduction in spread of Dengue fever to other persons in the Community.