Dengue infection is mainly spread through the bite of the virus-infected Aedes aegypti mosquito. When a mosquito bites you, the virus enters your body and starts spreading. The drop in platelets is caused by a condition called ‘thrombocytopenia’, which occurs either directly through bone marrow suppression or through an autoimmune reaction and antibodies being pushed into place. Thus, while the dengue virus by itself does not destroy platelets, it can set off complications that damage the function and count of platelets.
Remember, the original dengue spreads by entering the bloodstream, attaching itself to platelets and leading to replication. When this happens, the ‘infected’ platelets damage healthy platelets as well, and are amplified by the body’s immune defenses attacking them, mistaking them as foreign bodies. When bone marrow function is also suppressed, it can cause a surprising drop in the count, and can cause problems.
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