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hey all,
so a number of my friends and co workers have come down with a strange rash and fever. when they went to the clinic they were told they had to go elsewhere becasue they couldn't do anything for them....the symptoms are: a rash all over the body that looks like a heat rash, on and off low grade fever, flu like symptoms....joint and muscle pain, and extream sensitivity on the palms of thier hands and bottom of thier feet. can anyone tell me what this might be?
Posted : November 14, 2004 5:36 pm
Sounds like Dengue Fever.
Posted : November 14, 2004 5:44 pm
what island?
people who have had it before would like to know, see if theyre staying in for the next month or not 😉
[not me, but i have some paranoid friends who have had it twice and will *not* do it again]
thanks
Posted : November 15, 2004 12:02 am
Here is info on Dengue Fever. I highly suspect that if a clinic believed it to be Dengue fever they would have taken furthur steps as this can be fatal in some cases.
>>>>>Dengue Fever is an acute viral infection characterized by fever, it is caused by a bite from mosquitoes carrying dengue virus. The primary form of Dengue Fever is characterized by a skin rash and a high fever with severe head and muscle pains. Other symptoms may include shaking chills, diarrhea, and vomiting.
The secondary forms are called Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever and Dengue Shock Syndrome. These usually are caused by a secondary infection with a different type of Dengue virus, but may also be caused by the same virus that causes Dengue Fever.
Several days after onset, other symptoms may include fever, bleeding under the skin, red spots on the legs, and bleeding into the intestines. A marked fall in blood pressure occurs in severe cases<<<<<<<
Rashes and body aches can be the result of numerous causes, most benign. Best to have it evaluated by a qualified physician and not a walk in clinic
Posted : November 15, 2004 1:22 am
can you get a vaccine for this?
Post Edited (11-14-04 20:37)
Posted : November 15, 2004 1:36 am
There is no clinically proven vaccine. The National Institutes of Health has some useful information:
Posted : November 15, 2004 7:52 am
Topic starter
we are on st. john for the person who asked.....my roommate is doing okay now. it lasted for over a week though and she had a low grade fever. the bartender at my rest had it pretty badly. he was really sick for over a week with a very high fever. no one i know of who has had it is going to let it stop them from going out......bathe in deet or skin so sof t and i would imagine that you will keep the bugs away!
Posted : November 15, 2004 3:47 pm
I think it would be a good idea for all of us to identify this illness and ask the "clinics" ,Doctors, and public health agency how it should be treated or prevented. If it is Dengue or West Nile Virus or even malaria, we should try to recognize and track it. I doubt that this is a serious epidemic, however it should not be minimized. People (tourist and local alike) in the USVI are aften "ravaged" by mosquitos and "other " insects and should have some knowledge about the possible consequences. If the medical people on island are trying to "ignore" these symptoms they are being irresponsible..
Dr Know (nothing)....
Posted : November 15, 2004 10:39 pm
From people I know who say they had dengue, you would not be continuing with your normal activities. You would be in bed, praying for death to take you. The local name is "break bone fever" and supposedly you feel like you have been worked over with a baseball bat.
I don't think any of these people ever went to get medical confrmation of their disease, they just assumed it from the symptoms. Dr. Know is correct, but many in this community do not "do" medicine. Unfortunately.
Posted : November 16, 2004 8:39 pm
