Cover image via NSTIn 2015, Malaysia recorded 120,836 dengue cases, with a 50% spike in the number of deaths at 336 fatalities
After five years worth of research, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), yesterday, 18 February, revealed that they have finally created a drug that might potentially cure the dengue fever
With a worrying dengue situation in hand, the Malaysian Health Ministry vowed to work on reducing the number of dengue cases in the country by urging the people to improve environmental cleanliness and not forsake the importance of proper waste management.
Stagnant water, dirty surroundings are some of the most conducive breeding grounds for mosquitoes that can cause dengue fever.
UTM senior lecturer Dr Harisun Yaakob, explained that the new drug, called Anti-D'ngue, contains a herbal concoction that has been proven to increase platelet count in dengue victims
Image via New Straits Times
What are platelets and how will UTM's Anti-D'ngue help with the treatment of dengue?
Patients with severe dengue cases like these are usually treated with blood and platelet transfusion, fluids and oxygen therapy as there has been no known cure for severe dengue.
UTM's Anti-D'ngue gel has been proven to increase platelet count in dengue patients, which can stop them from developing the potentially fatal hemorrhagic fever.
Image via Health Xchange
Platelets, also called as thrombocytes are parts of the blood that help to stop bleeding by clumping and clotting blood vessel injuries. In severe dengue cases, the dengue virus induces bone marrow suppression, which causes deficiency of blood cells that leads to the decrease in platelet count.
Low platelet count in severe dengue patients can lead to spontaneous bleeding or cause the life-threatening hemorrhagic dengue fever.
**The image below explains the warning signs of a patient with dengue and severe dengue:**
What's really interesting is that, the research team that created this revolutionary drug, thinks that their Anti-D'ngue gel may also help with the treatment of Zika virus infection
As the symptoms and treatment for Zika virus infection is rather similar to Dengue fever, the Anti-D'ngue gel might be able increase the platelet count in Zika patients too.
However, the theory is yet to be worked on and proven by the researches.
