"Dengue", the big tropical devil
Dengue is an arthropod-borne viral disease carried by Aedes aegypti as the vector, caused by 4 possible viral serotypes, namely, serotype 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the Flaviviridae family. As per the present literature, there is no specific targeting drug nor vaccine available for the treatment of dengue . Supportive management with fluids etc. are some of the treatment options. In here lies another issue named as secondary infection. Secondary infection is a major risk factor for DHF possibly due to antibody-dependent enhancement. A patient with dengue fever presents typically with fever, headache, and rash known as the dengue triad. There are many other nonspecific signs and symptoms associated with DF and patient can progress to DHF and typically manifests as abdominal pain, bleeding, and even circulatory collapse. The clinical course of dengue has an abrupt onset followed by three phases, namely, the febrile phase, the critical phase and the recovery phase. It is during the critical phase that thrombocytopaenia, characterized by a decrease in platelet count below 100 000 per mm3 from the baseline and haemoconcentration, characterized by an increase of haematocrit by 20% or more, is detectable before the subsidence of fever and the onset of shock.
The Savior Leaf (Papaya):
Scientifically known as Carica papaya is a Mexican origin plant but now abundantly grown and seen in tropical and sub tropical regions of the world is a well known plant. The fruit is said to be a rich source of vitamin A, C, and calcium. It was known to be trusted by the folk medicine since centuries. So that trust was said to be supported by recent studies. Studies have shown its beneficial effect as an anti-inflammatory agent, for its wound healing properties, anti-tumor as well as immune-modulatory effects and as an antioxidant. The most recent study was done for oral toxicity and was thus confirmed that it could be orally consumed. These studies bought some good hope and paved a path for dengue studies.
Researchers have aimed to target the platelet escalation which they thought was prime in saving a life. Thoughts piled up and resulted in few studies where they could affirm that the papaya leaf could significantly raise the platelet levels. In a study conducted by Subenthiran et al., 2013, they have observed that the PTAFR gene which is known to be responsible for increased platelet production and aggregation was expressed 13.42-folds among the patients who consumed the juice as compared to the control group indicating that the juice had played an important role in addressing the arresting of bleeding tendencies among these patients. A study conducted in Brazil showed that injection of Platelet Activating Factor (PAF/PTAFR) in mice induced an increase in platelet count. However, after a certain level, further administration of PAF failed to induce platelet production indicating autosensitization. These findings show that PAF/PTAFR can induce the release of platelets which may be relevant to thrombocytosis.
Now I personally think that these evidences support ethno pharmacologically the potency of papaya.
Another plant coming into vision is Fenugreek also called as methi in "Hindi". It was well seen that it could reduce the blood pressure and heart beat of patients but this herb needs a strong scientific evidence.
We all know that vaccines failed to show their mightiness yet. Vaccines by reputed companies like Sanofi have not yet been successful in releasing their product as they are experiencing cross serotype reactions. So why not let the herbs play their role? A better filtered and processed extract or isolate of papaya can be used by the emergency units in hospitals in dengue prone areas which may save some lives.
