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The Mighty Mosquito

Animals, Health / by

You’ve heard the old saying that the pen is mightier than the sword, right?  Well, over the past several weeks, I have come to find out that the mosquito may just be mightier than either the sword or the pen.  Because of a mosquito, I have been sick for three weeks already.  And, when I say sick, I am not just saying that I didn’t feel well, I have been seriously ill.

Three weeks ago, I thought I had a cold.  I had sniffles, a slight fever and a sore throat.  It took a week or so, but it passed.  For a couple of days, I felt OK.  Weak, but OK.  Then, I had a couple of events to attend to one day – a breakfast with a friend, and then lunch with another friend the same day.  By the end of the day, I was so tired and weak that I could hardly even stand up!  I figured that I was not quite over my cold yet, and had overexerted myself.

After this overexertion, I had a higher fever, and was very, very weak.  It had been years since I had felt this sick.  I don’t get sick too often, but when I do, it tends to be somewhat serious.  Well, this time, as it turned out, it was quite serious.  I found out that what I had was not a common cold, but rather, I had Dengue Fever.  I should say, I have Dengue Fever, as I am still sick as I type this.

The next thing that happened was rather strange… I suddenly broke out with a whole bunch of red dots on my legs, and a few on my chest and face.  I wondered if it was measles or something, but I’ve already had that when I was a child.  I saw a doctor, and he told me that it was not measles, but rather, I was in the final stages of Dengue.

So, right now, the disease has passed, for the most part.  It can take weeks, even months, though, to regain your strength after going through Dengue Fever, so I still have  a ways to go before I am feeling normal again.  It’s a tough disease, and it really saps you of all of your strength!  Sometimes, you have so little strength that it is all you can do to just stand up.  Doing anything more than that can seem almost impossible.

What are the symptoms of dengue?

Well, there are many symptoms, and you may have some or all, it just varies.  For me, it started out with severe headache, cough, sore throat and sniffles.  I only had a minor fever, although the next week my fever was higher, but still not severe.  Also, I experienced some nausea and stomach discomfort.  Like I said, the red dots on my skin too, which were very numerous.  Pain behind my eyes was quite severe, like a lot of pressure behind the eyes.

With these symptoms, I first thought I had a cold.  Later, I knew it was too severe for a cold, and I thought I might have H1N1, Swine Flu.  Truth is, I think that Swine Flu, from what I’ve heard and read, is probably a lot milder than Dengue is, though.

What are the treatments of dengue?

Truth is, there are no treatments for dengue, officially.  No type of medicine will cure it.  There are “folk” remedies, though.  I have been using two.  Firstly, my friend, AmericanLola e-mailed me to tell me that one thing that is helpful is to make a juice by crushing the leaves of a papaya tree, which I’ve been doing.  It is some bitter stuff, but I drink it by the shot glass!  I don’t know if it works or not, but I’m trying it.  Another folk treatment is to make a tea from tawa tawa, a weed.  I did that once, and drank part of it.  I really didn’t like the stuff, though.

How do you catch dengue?

As far as I know, there is only one way to catch Dengue Fever, and that is from a mosquito bite.  It is from a certain type of mosquito, not just any mosquito.  This type of mosquito bites during the day, which I am told others don’t.  Also, only the female mosquito bites, which I never knew before.

While I cannot be certain, I believe that I may have picked up the virus when I visited Dinagat Island a few weeks ago.  I say this because I got sick about 4 days or so after I got back, so it would seem logical that I got the bite either on the Island, or perhaps on the bus while I was traveling.  That said, it is only my guess, and I could have just as easily picked it up right here in Davao, I just don’t know for certain.  I have no memory of being bitten by any mosquitoes, but it must have happened.

Dengue is not contagious, so one person cannot pass it to another.  You only get it from the bite of this certain mosquito.  I am thankful that I was not able to pass it along to anybody else in the family.

If you are visiting the Philippines, or any other tropical area in the world, I would recommend that you avoid mosquitoes at all possible cost.  Use some kind of mosquito repellent to keep them away from you too.  Believe me, you don’t want to catch Dengue!  It has proven to be a very uncomfortable sickness, and I hope you can avoid it – I wouldn’t wish this upon anybody.

Oh, if you are thinking of getting a shot to immunize yourself against dengue… don’t even bother.  There is no immunization against dengue.  The only way you can prevent the disease is by not getting bitten by any mosquitoes.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. I know exactly what you are going through, my nephew only 7months that time almost died of dengue fever 6yrs ago, we thought he won't be able to make it. Good thing Davao Doctor's Hospital saved his life through constant blood transfusion. His platelets and hemoglobin are too low, and for a child of his age recovery was really tough. Almost fatal enough for an adult how much more on a baby getting infected with it. After the ordeal, i told my sister in law to stuff their cabinet with mosquito repellant. Get well soon Bob, keep yourself hydrated always.

  3. Geezz…sounds like it would be more fun to get wacked with a 2×4 Bob !! Good to hear your on the upswing. The Irish remedy is a shot of good ole Irish whiskey…which for some odd reason seems to be the cure all for all illnesses of the Irish. I thought there were 2 forms of dengue, is this true? Also if you contract it are you immune from it?

  4. Bob: Take care of yourself and rest up. I think you have now joined the true Filipino ranks… Your first tropical disease! You are now officially a "local".

  7. Hi brian – Yes, there are two forms of dengue. Thankfully, I don't have dengue hemorrhagic fever as it is much more serious. Even with the dengue that I have, 1 person in 20 dies from it! My understanding, although I think it sounds weird, is that you can get dengue up to 4 times.

  9. Hi Bob. Sorry to hear of your illness. I guess I can take that off my list of inoculations. I understand that the anti diptheria pills can make one as sick as the disease, ( almost ). So what does that leave Hepatitis & Tetnus shots & a lot of caution. Sound right? Hope your well on the mend Bob. So now you're immune to dangue? Mosquito repellent & good luck for the rest of us. As you said at least it is not contagous. Take care. Guy

  10. Hi Bob – As Brian mentioned, there are two forms of dengue – dengue fever(DF) and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). Sounds like you may have had the former.

    Also, as Brian suggests, you are now immune to the one of four different viruses that cause dengue. You can still catch dengue from any of the three other viruses. I think it's the Aedes mosquito that carries the virus that causes dengue.

    Some home remedies: tea made from either tawa-tawa or from camote (sweet potato) tops. I've also heard tea made from small malunggay leaves will help. Also heard that the worse it tastes, the better it cures. 😉 As you said, though, there is no medical cure.

    (It's tough being the currator of the junk yard of trivia!)

  11. Hi Paul – Yeah, I wrote in a comment above about the hemorrhagic dengue – that's not what I have. What I have is bad enough, I certai9ly wouldn't want worse! I have been drinking tawa-tawa, and also the juice of papaya leaves.

  12. Bob we are all glad your getting better. Marlou had Dengue in her last few months there. She was eventually hospitalized. Be careful.

  13. Hi Bob;
    Sorry about your bout with Dengue, I had it years ago while in Puerto Rico.
    After that I took the time to learn a little about those little pains called Mosquito’s.
    They breed in standing water. (I empty any water left after it rains.)
    It’s true only the females bite, kinda makes sense.
    I called an exterminator after I found I had a colony of bats living in my window awnings, and then my neighbor told me that each bat will eat 10,000 mosquitoes a night. They still live there and I’ll build them a small house if they want. I also won’t harm a lizard for the same reason. So I’m glad you’re on the mend,, are we immune now that we’ve had it once????

  15. Hi Paul – There are 4 different strains of dengue, and once we get dengue, we are only immune to the strain that we get, so we can get it up to 4 different times.

    Thanks for your well wishes…

  16. Maayong Buntag Bob
    Dengue is some nasty stuff. Checked into it when my friend’s 1 year old daughter got Dengue while she was in the RP. She had to be hospitalized until she got over the Dengue. One of the reasons Dengue is so bad is that the disease will attach the immune system. Glad to hear you are feeling better but you still need to take care of yourself for a while.

  17. HI Bob
    Sorry you have had to deal with this and I hope you will be fully recovered soon. I always doused myself with insect repellent ( " Off " brand deep woods formula containing 25% deet ) before leaving the hotel during my visits. I wouldn't like to have to do this all the time if I lived there. From what I have read about it, the Dengue carrying mosquitoes can be anywhere, as the malaria carrying type are not usually found in urban areas and not usually in the day time.

    Here, in recent years some mosquitoes have been known as carriers of " West Nile Virus " which I believe has similarities to Dengue Feever although not exactly the same. Here at home I don't spend much time outdoors in the evenings during the summer as I did years ago.

    Hope you make a full recovery soon Bob. I wondered why you had not been as active on this website for a few weeks, thanks for letting us know.

  20. I hope you will be feeling better soon! Yes, you are now immune to the one that got you. It is good to take it easy for a while, not only because you feel weak, but because the spleen is usually somewhat swollen from dengue and is more vulnerable to damage. So, you might want to lay off skateboarding and football…

    Different people respond differently to dengue fever. Some feel fine after a couple weeks, others it takes longer, so be patient, rest and eat a lot of nourishing foods.

    I pray that you will be feeling better quickly!

  21. Hi Bob! I'm sorry to know that you had( hopefully it's over now)Dengue fever. You're a lucky man as your immune system was not compromised and your body was able to fight the virus. In the mid-eighties, there was a moderate Dengue fever affliction in the barrio where I live. A few small children died but what was worst was I lost my 24 year old brother to that horible disease with the same symptoms you've mentioned. Drink lot's of fluids and eat fruits & veggies with lots of vitamin A, C & E to boost your immune system. Take care!

  22. Hi Bob,

    Really sorry to hear about your fight with Dengue Fever. My friend and his daughter in Luzon had it one time and his description was similar to yours. They were both hospitalized and had intravenous fluids as they were so dehydrated. Keep drinking, and best wishes for a speedy recovery.

  23. Glad to know you are the mend Bob. Not sure what I would be like if I got it. I was hoping my health would get better when I move there. Do they sell "Off" there? Hope so.

  25. Good to hear you're much better! And may you never get it again. I've had dengue three times, and I know it's not fun at all. I HATE mosquitoes. 😉

  27. Bob,
    Glad to hear you are getting better. Now I am off to the store before we come to load up on OFF! Maybe if I drink enough San Miguels the night before the mighty mosquito will leave me alone. I never would have thought about being bitten during daylight hours.

  29. hmmmm weak, can hardly stand up, geeeez Bob maybe i have had dengue for the last 26 years huh ?

    Seriously though, i have got sick twice now, high fever sweats, chills and mysterious red dots all over my calves each time only in one leg, I took a course of cipro each time and it subsided with in a few days. I don't think it was dengue but sure is possible huh

  30. Hi Tommy – Hmm… if the Cipro helped, it must not have been dengue, because antibiotics are not effective against dengue. I hope you are feeling alright, though!

  31. Hi Bob – hope you are well again soon. Just another reason anyone who is thinking of moving to the Philippines, can, and should access information from someone who has done it. Thanks Bob.

  32. Hi Tommy- I think you have a great sense of humor. I,m sure that being married to a beautiful Philippino has made your life so much more rewarding than you can have imagined….Hey mate, dont think you are the only one, we are in a special club!!

  33. Hi Bob, I hope you're through the worse of your illness. Back when I was a Peace Corps, I contracted dengue hemorragic fever, which put me in the hospital for several days. You got another strain, what would the other two be? By the way, in Cebu City you can buy Off in the local pharmacies, so that might be the case in other areas as well. Try to rest up Bob.

  35. Me and my wife were reading this article, and she from being from the Province said something interesting to me…The Mosquito Dengue she said…"They don't bite you nighttime only daytime…So I thought I pass it on she also said they like to stay where there is alot of flowers and grass because more cold there they hide there..Take care Bob.

  36. I would urge everyone living in areas where the particular mosquito (Aedes aegypti)is present to read about Dengue fever in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dengue_fever. I'm sure that Bob thought he would die, as most I've known that have had this nasty virus always believe they might. But, the 1 death in 20 that is mentioned might be on the high side. Now dengue hemorrhagic fever is much more serious, and we are all quite glad that Bob didn't have that disease. The website listed about is quite extensive, and very informative. I would truly urge all Philippine residents to read through it.

    SO GLAD you are better, Bob. Hang in there !

  38. A reminder, if you are flying, aerosol cans may not be permitted and can be removed from your luggage and confiscated. The " OFF " brand Deep Woods repellent I bought for my visits to The Philippines comes in a 6 ounce ( 177 ml ) pump spray container. One container lasted me for 2 weeks although that can vary with each individual. The effect of this ( and any other insect repellent ) is only good for a certain amount of time. According to a data sheet originating from the New England Journal of Medicine Vol 347 No 1 July 4, 2002 the time range for this product is 200 to 300 Minutes. The website for " S C Johnson " products may have additional information.

    The amount of Deet in any of these repellents seems to be the active ingreedient and 25% appears to be the recomended amount for the best efectiveness. Some repellents have less than 25% Deet including those for children.

    NOTE to Mindanao Bob,

    Bob it is not that I am trying to plug this specific product here. It was the only product I could find here in supermarkets, major department stores etc. that is commonly available, off the shelf. On my first visit I brought one of these and 2 repellents in aerosol cans packed in my hold luggage. The Aerosol cans were removed and confiscated by Homeland Security upon check in at JFK International Airport, New York. Good thing I had also brought the version in the pump spray ( non-aerosol ) package. I pack these in a double zip lock type plastic bag and so far have had no leakage problem.

  41. T've read they're doing a Dengue vaccination field test in Thailand. If it proves successful, perhaps someday an immunization program will be avialable.

    Mycophenolic acid and ribavirin have been found to inhibit the replication of the virus in infected patients.

  42. Kamusta mo,

    Just wanted to add this little tidbit, not sure if the Philippines has dragonflies, I would think they do..but not sure. But dragonflies also love to eat mosquitoes and gnats…

    Salamat,
    Danny 🙂

  43. Kamusta ka Bob,

    I hope you are 100% very soon Bob, and if you decide to do any skateboarding as American Lola pointed out, please video tape it for us all… 🙂

    Please take care,
    Danny 🙂

  44. Hello Bob- I'm sorry to hear you are sick. I remember reading your article about your visit in Dinagat a couple weeks ago. You must have not been feeling well for a while now if you think you got the virus from your Dinagat excursion.

    Bug bites are just one of those annoyances that comes with living in the tropics.To kill those blood-thirsty mosquitoes, we used to burn some dried leaves in our backyard. The smoke keeps the bugs away.

    I hope you feel better soon.

  51. Hi Bob,

    Perhaps Feyma can take the video with you on the skateboard with a football on one hand and doing the Heisman stance. Just joking.
    A sound advise from everyone, lots of fluids, juices and above all rest. But keep that coffee down to the minimum and put that coffee maker under lock and key. Glad you're feeling better.

  52. Hi Bob,

    I know the feeling only too well! In Africa I had Malaria on several occasions and nearly died at one time! I lost 4 days where I cannot remember anything and lost 40 lbs body weight! When I woke up there was a Nun by my bedside, she had been looking after me at the time, I wondered if I was dead as I am not a religeous person but she kept me alive somehow! I have not had any sign of malaria now for about 5 years but it took around 15 years to flush out of my system! Its no easy trip!

  53. Hi Chris – I'm not really certain, but in my mind I would think that Malaria is tougher than Dengue, although I am sure neither is any fun. I know Dengue is not! Luckily, I didn't need any Nuns on the standby this time! 😆 Glad that you finally flushed it from your system!

  58. Hello Bob!

    I have had a similar issue regarding mosquitos….I got too many bites I started to have a fever and some other not fun symptoms! I hope that you will recover soon as I know you feel at the moment 🙁

  59. Hi Jason – I never heard of anything like that before! You must have been in a very heavily infested area to get so many bites! It only takes a single bite to get Dengue.

  63. Hi Sir BoB. Get better soon buddy, we need you to keep us entertained lol.
    I guess it's all about numbers, after two years in Iligan I think I have passed the 2,000 mozzie bite mark. They have built drainage canals in our barangay, that drains to nowhere and the putrid water just lies there, a haven for breeding mozzies.

    I have mentioned it before, even as I type the mozzies are draining my blood and having a wow of a time. Maybe your article is a wake up call for me as I have stopped using repellent for a long time now.

  64. Bob,
    You are definitely not a complainer….or we would have heard about this dengue you are fighting weeks ago. I knew dengue was transmitted by a smaller daytime mosquito with kind of white tiger stripes (like the photo you used for this article perhaps). I also knew there was the DHF and the DH, but I thought the difference had more to do with the reaction of the person, not a different virus. And now, only by reading the comments here, I've learned there are 4 different (though must be closely related) dengue causing viruses.

    But no one has mentioned something I read someplace online… Dengue seems to be confined to urban areas where lots of people congregate and thus the mosquitos that carry it are daytime biters. I'm wondering if it is true that the species of mosquito that transmits dengue is more common in urban areas than in rural spaces. The science guy in me wonders if there is a false correlation lurking here. Higher concentrations of active people in the midst of a daytime-biting mosquito will result in more urban cases of the disease, but this does not mean the mosquito is not present in rural places. Also, rural cases probably are under reported compared to the urban cases where people are more likely to seek medical care.

    It would make my day (considering I plan to live in a rural setting) if this type of mosquito loves asphalt and concrete.

    Jon

  65. Hi there, Bob! Sorry to know that you've contacted dengue fever. Glad it's over now. Just know this: when it rains, dengue strikes. It's not seasonal. Even during summer but raining…Basta naay "rain" kuyog gyud na ang dengue. Hehe.
    Best regards from Eire…

  67. Hi Boss – Certainly you should look out for them skeeters! I am sitting here this morning thinking about how bad I feel today! It seems like something that I will never see the end of!

  69. Glad you have recovered.I was wondering how much did your medical care cost? As you are aware the US healthcare issue is hot topic
    and sad to say millions of Americans are without health insurance.
    I am employed with very good health insurance but still I can feel
    the pain of those without it.

  71. Hello Bob and everyone, I am originally from the UK but have a place in Mexico, I just came across your web site, and found it interesting, as I am visiting some companies in Taiwan, and putting the hardware together, for a new concept for NO Mosquitoes while one is sleeping, even no see ems do not get you, I am also trying to find sewing machinist, as I am so near I was thinking of coming to the Philippines for a short stay, Best Regards Ray

    • Hello Ray,

      Nice to meet you, thanks for stopping by.

      No Mosquitoes? That wold be a great thing, I hope your project goes well. If you make that trip to the Philippines, I hope you have a great stay in the country!