Holidays??

My sister always says that Paraguay has too many holidays. I think after counting them all up, there are actually more up in the States than here. I do agree, though, that the Paraguayan people love to celebrate everything and anything. On Monday, for example, the government declared it a holiday. No one was supposed to go to work. It was for CLEANING YOUR HOUSE! It really seemed more of a party day! People stayed home from work to drink the famous terere. Oscar and Brandon went out to clean someone’s yard and do garden work, so some people had their house cleaned, anyway.
The fuss is all about DENGUE. This is part of a report that I just got last Friday from the U.S. Embassy: The Paraguayan Ministry of Health has issued an Epidemiological Warning due to the recent outbreak of Dengue. Since January of 2007 and up to today, there have been 762 confirmed cases of Dengue and two deaths due to complications from dengue hemorrhagic fever in Paraguay. I think that the numbers have been changed a little bit over the last few days. Here’s what we found out:
Dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever are viral diseases transmitted by AEDES mosquitoes, usually Aedes aegypti.
Dengue viruses spread to humans by the bite of female mosquitoes. These mosquitoes acquire the virus while feeding on the blood of an infected person. The virus circulates in the blood of infected humans for 2 –7 days leading to fever. Recovery from infection provided immunity against that particular virus but offers only partial protection against the other three viruses. In fact, subsequent infection increases the risk of a more complicated fever called as "dengue hemorrhagic fever".
In infants and young children, dengue presents as a mild fever with rash. Older children and adults may have the classical symptoms of high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, pain in the joints and muscles and rash. The pain in the back may be so severe that it is also called as backbreaking fever. Dengue fever is usually self-limiting. Dengue hemorrhagic fever is characterized by high fever, bleeding and liver enlargement. It requires urgent hospitalization as it may even lead to death.
Treatment for dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever is supportive. Painkillers may be needed for severe body ache. The patient should take adequate fluids to prevent dehydration. In case of bleeding or any other complications, patient may require hospitalization.
So, this was the reason for the HOLIDAY on Monday. Everyone was to stay home to clean their houses and yards, and in some areas they were going to fumigate.
People who have had Dengue already comment about how painful it really is. They have to take Tylenol every 4 to 6 hours to ease the pain and fever. None of us in our family has had it yet and we ask for your continued prayers! I guess I am mostly worried about how it could affect a baby, but Edson’s doctor said that little kids don’t seem to suffer as much as adults. It would just give him high fever and a rash.
The weather is perfect for mosquitoes. It is hot, humid and rainy…Perfect weather for breeding! Don’t forget to say a little prayer for us and our people!