INTRODUCTION:

As it is we cannot deny that things change over or in a certain period of time. New technologies were being invented, clothes for fashions. Jewelries, luxuries mode of entertainment etc. It’s just like having a new mode of socialization, cultures, beliefs, perceptions, adaptation to life and environment with all of these one aspect of human being which are greatly affected and the one which we have to be most concern of would be in the side of our health and well being.

Good health is a prerequisite of human productive and developmental process. It is essential to economic and technological development. If there is any change in an individual’s physical, economical, intellectual, social, developmental or spiritual functioning, will result in diminished health. Nowadays so many communicable diseases are affecting people. Mosquito borne diseases are a major communicable disease¹

The origins of the word Dengue are not clear, but one theory is that it is derived from the Swahili phrase "Ka-dinga pepo", meaning "Cramp-like seizure caused by an evil spirit". The Swahili word "Dinga" may possibly have its origin in the Spanish word "Dengue" meaning fastidious or careful, which would describe the gait of a person suffering the bone pain due to Dengue fever.²

Dengue fever, commonly known as “Break bone fever” for its classic symptoms of severe joint and muscle pain and high fever, once mostly occurred in tropical and subtropical zones. During the last 20 years, Dengue fever and its more severe form, Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever, have been spreading worldwide. Dengue fever is a very rapidly growing public health problem being currently faced by approximately 40% of the global population living in more than a hundred tropical and sub-tropical countries. Dengue fever is a viral disease, caused by four types of dengue viruses, transmitted by mosquitoes, to an estimated 50 million people each year. Vector control methods to contain transmission have not been successful and there is currently no useful diagnostic test, drug or vaccine to combat Dengue fever.³

Dengue Fever is an acute febrile disease due to a viral infection and presents with severe headache, pain in the eyes, muscle and joint pain as well as rash. Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever presents with dengue-like symptoms in addition to hemorrhagic manifestations; for example, petechial skin haemorrhage, hepatomegaly, and circulatory disturbances. Dengue is caused by the infection of dengue virus, a flavivirus in the family of Togaviridae. There are four known virus serotypes (DEN 1, DEN 2, DEN 3, and DEN 4). The virus is transmitted by the Aedes mosquito, of which Aedes aegypti is the most important vector. Factors contributing to the spread include increasing international travel, migration, urbanization, and global warming. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dengue fever “has become the most common arboviral [arthropod-borne] disease of humans.” The WHO reports that it’s currently endemic in at least 100 countries, putting some 2.5 billion people (40% of the world’s population) at risk. The CDC reports estimates of more than 100 million cases annually. Countries reporting recent outbreaks include India, Singapore, and Thailand in Southeast Asia; Puerto Rico in the Caribbean; and Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Paraguay and Brazil in Central and South America⁴.

NEED FOR THE STUDY:

Need for the study means scientific method which refers to a body of technique for investigation phenomena, acquiring new knowledge or collecting and integrating previous knowledge to be termed scientific method of enquiry must be based on gathering empirical and measurable evidence subject to specific principles of reasoning.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declares Dengue and Dengue hemorrhagic fever to be endemic in South Asia. Despite the magnitude of problem, no documented evidence exists in India which reveals the awareness and practices of the country's adult population regarding dengue fever, its spread, symptoms, prevention, treatment etc.

Dengue fever is now believed to be the most common arthropod-borne disease in the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) currently estimates that there may be 50 to 100 million cases of Dengue fever worldwide every year (WHO 2010). About 500,000 individuals per year manifest the severe forms, which gave a mortality rate of about 10 percent. Given the dramatic geographic expansion of epidemic Dengue Fever (DF) and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF), the WHO has classified this disease as a major international public health concern. DHF is more serious and the fatality rate is about 5%. Children younger than 15 years comprise 90% of DHF subjects in the world. DHF can affect both adult and children⁵

Dengue epidemics have been earlier reported from Vellore. The results shown an unusual increase in Dengue virus activity (as evidenced by Dengue IgM positivity) in this region during 2003 (similar to that noticed in 1999). Though there was a decrease in the number of cases with suspected Dengue infection in 2001 and 2002, there was a steady increase in the package of samples positive for Dengue IgM in these years compared to 2000, providing evidence that there was an overall increase in Dengue virus activity over these years⁶.

During the past two decades the epidemics of dengue fever have been causing concern in several South East Asia countries, including India. A study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital situated in Southern India to determine the trends & outcomes of dengue cases.

There was a steady rise in number of cases from 2002 to 2007, with the largest number of cases seen in 2007. Most cases were observed in the post monsoon season in the month of September. Out of total of 344 cases 285 (82.8%) patients had dengue fever, 34(9.8%) had DHF & 25 (7.3%) had DSS. Deaths were reported in 9 cases with the majority of deaths occurring in 2003.

Uncontrolled urbanization and concurrent population growth, deterioration of public health infrastructure increased travelling, non–existence of effective mosquito control methods are responsible for dramatic global emergency of danger. The disease control should emphasis on vector surveillance integrated vector control, emergency response, early clinical diagnosis and appropriate management of the cases⁷.

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

A non experimental descriptive research design was used to assess the knowledge regarding dengue fever among adults in urban slum area of Mehasana district”. The data were collected from 100 adult. “Non-probability convenient” sampling technique was used. A structured questionnaire (closed ended) was selected to assess the knowledge regarding dengue fever among adults in urban slum area of Mehasana district.

RESULT:

Highest percentages 52% of adults belongs to the age group of 26 to 35 years. Majority 68% adults were male, Majority Regarding type of family, 80% adults belong to joint family, Majority (48.00%) sample belong to secondary education. Highest percentage of 82% adults had monthly income between Rs. 2001 to 5000, and majority 94% adults were married.

Findings revealed that the mean knowledge score of adults is 16.79% with SD 5.22. The findings of the study revealed that Majority (40%) of adults had moderate level of knowledge and 34% adults had inadequate level of knowledge and 26% of adults had adequate level of knowledge regarding dengue fever. there was significant association found between knowledge scores with demographic variables like educational status, of family of adults and other no association was found with other variables. It was assessed at 0.05% level of significance.

CONCLUSION:

The major conclusion drawn from this study was that highest percentage 40% adults had moderate adequate knowledge regarding dengue fever.

REFERENCES:

1. WHO.int, Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization as adopted by the International Health Conference: New York, June 1947; p.100 Available from: http//www. WHO.com. retrieved on 11^th November2012.

2. ″Dengue Virus Net2011″ Trimark publication, Available from; http//www.google.com, retrieved on 11^th November 2012.

3. Lifson AR. Mosquitoes. Models and dengue: Lancet 1996; 347(9010): 1201-2 p. Available from; http//www.google.com, retrieved on 11^th November 2012.

4. ″Centers for Disease Control and Prevention″ Dengue hemorrhagic fever—U.S.–Mexico border, 2005. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2007; 56(31): 785-9 p. Available from; http//www.pubmed.com retrieved on 11^th November 2012.

5. ″World Health Organization″ (WHO). Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever: Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention and Control. (2^nd edition); Geneva: WHO Available from: http//www. WHO.com. retrieved on 15^th November 2012.

6. Koenraadt CJ, Tuiten W, Sithiprasasna R, Kijchalao U, Jones JW, Scott TW, 2006. ″Dengue knowledge and practices and their impact on Aedes aegypti populations in Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand″. Am J Trop Med Hyg: 692-700 p Available from; http//www.google.com, retrieved on 14^th November 2012.

7. Kumar A, Pandit VR, Shetty S, Pattanshetty S, Krish SN, Roys,, (2010); ″A profile of dengue cases admitted to a tertiary care hospital in Karnataka″ Trop doct 40(1); 45 – 6 p Available from; http//www.google.com, retrieved on 17^th November 2102.

Received on 27.12.2018 Modified on 29.01.2019

Asian J. Nursing Education and Research. 2019; 9(2):163-165.

DOI: 10.5958/2349-2996.2019.00033.8