A new study has found that obese children infected with dengue are more likely to experience severe illnesses that require hospitalization.
In this study, researchers involved nearly 5,000 children with dengue from Sri Lanka. Researchers found that weight plays an important role in how sick dengue virus can make children. Kids with higher BMIs (body mass index) were more likely to be hospitalized as compared those who weigh less.
The study also found that the heaviest children who are very overweight were twice as likely to go to the hospital as compared to other children.
One of the reputed doctors, Neelika Malavige said that obesity is becoming more common in many countries. It is very important to inform people about the dangers of obesity and how it can increase the risk of severe illness and hospitalization from dengue.
Dengue is a common mosquito-borne virus that can cause nausea, vomiting, and rash. Its symptoms usually start within two weeks. Severe cases can lead to shock and death if they do not get treatment on time. But there is no specific medicine for dengue that can effectively reduce its risk. It causes intense pain in joints, bones, and muscles. Hence it is also known as “break bone fever.”
Researchers of this study said that there is a need for further research to understand more about the mechanisms behind obesity and diabetes’ increase in dengue disease severity. This can help experts find biomarkers and develop new treatments to reduce this risk.
The results of this study were recently published in the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
