Keon Daniel May Have Dengue Fever

Trinidad and Tobago stranded Keon Daniel may have been infected with Dengue Fever, according to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation.

Dengue Fever is the lesser of the two major Dengue Fevers and the non-lethal version. Most common in tropical urban centers, Dengue Fever is contracted by a bite from mosquito carrying the disease. The Fever generally displays the following symptoms for those infected, per the Center for Disease Control (CDC):

high fever, severe headache, severe pain behind the eyes, joint pain, muscle and bone pain, rash, and mild bleeding (e.g., nose or gums bleed, easy bruising).

Once the Fever subsides, the symptoms typically go away in a timely fashion. There is no treatment or preventative cure for Dengue Fever of any kind. Higher than normal fluid levels and Acetaminophen is the standard medical approach to combating the symptoms of Dengue Fever.

However, if what was contracted is Dengue Hemmorphic Fever (DHF), not Dengue Fever, it becomes a 2-7 day battle for the patient and medical staff to keep the disease from becoming fatal. The following are the symptoms and complications of DHF, per the CDC:

When the fever declines, symptoms including persistent vomiting, severe abdominal pain, and difficulty breathing, may develop. This marks the beginning of a 24- to 48-hour period when the smallest blood vessels... allow... the fluid component to escape from the blood vessels into the peritoneum (causing ascites) and pleural cavity (leading to pleural effusions). This may lead to failure of the circulatory system and shock, followed by death, if circulatory failure is not corrected. In addition, the patient with DHF has a low platelet count and hemorrhagic manifestations, tendency to bruise easily or other types of skin hemorrhages, bleeding nose or gums, and possibly internal bleeding.

Daniel's bout with Dengue Fever is the latest in a line of unlucky or untimely events this season. Read more about them after the jump.

The 25-year-old midfielder has not returned to the United States since leaving the country for international duty on August 28 or 29. Daniel scored a goal for Trinidad versus Barbados on September 7, and was expected back in time to play against the Portland Timbers on September 10.

However, reports surfaced on Friday, September 9 that Daniel had visa problems and was unable to play for the Union at the time. The Brotherly Game later reported that a source informed the site that Daniel may be unavailable for the rest of the season due to the visa problem.

Despite not playing a professional club game in nearly a month, Daniel was called up once again to the T&T national team, which was due to begin training together on Monday, through today. The team will meet again in Bermuda, after the TTFF canceled an October 2 practice in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. If Daniel recovers in time, he is scheduled to play in Trinidad's October 7 and 11 2014 World Cup Qualifying matches versus Bermuda and Barbados, respectively.