Dengue Fever and Malaria

Today we visited a hospital to learn about Dengue Fever and Malaria. Both these diseases are transmitted by parasites and more commonly seen in Southeast Asia than in the United States. We learned about the presentation of these diseases and were given the opportunity to go on rounds with a doctor to observe 3 child cases of Dengue Fever. For each patient, the doctor would read aloud the patient's temperature upon arrival, white blood cell count, hematocrit level, and ask the patient to show us his/her physical symptoms. All the patients and their families were extremely cooperative and the medical staff was very helpful in answering all our questions. Because these diseases are uncommon in the United States, I'm glad we were given the chance to see so much about them in a country where they are more prevalent.