Safety Topic: About Dengue

Dengue is a disease more common during rainy season. Dengue cases in the entire country have risen to about 75% more from January to August of this year (54,659 cases) compared to last year of the same period (31,248 cases). There were 429 deaths recorded in the last seven months and almost 80% of the cases recorded belonged to the 1-20 year old age bracket.

This is now a “serious concern” as reported by the Department of Health

On this note, we wish to remind everybody about proper sanitation in our homes and taking extra care in our surroundings.

Here are facts and guidelines to prevent and control mosquito and mosquito bites:

DENGUE HEMORRHAGIC FEVER is an acute infectious disease manifested initially with fever.
Transmission
Aedes aegypti, the transmitter of the disease, feed during the day, mostly during the early morning and late afternoon. It lays eggs in clear and stagnant water found in flower vases, cans, rain barrels, old rubber tires, etc. The adult mosquitoes rest in dark places of the house.
It is not transmitted from person-to-person.
Signs and Symptoms

<![if !supportLists]>·        <![endif]>Sudden onset of high fever which may last 2 to 7 days.

<![if !supportLists]>·        <![endif]>Joint & muscle pain and pain behind the eyes.

<![if !supportLists]>·        <![endif]>Weakness

<![if !supportLists]>·        <![endif]>Skin rashes - maculopapular rash or red tiny spots on the skin called petechiae

<![if !supportLists]>·        <![endif]>Nosebleeding when fever starts to subside

<![if !supportLists]>·        <![endif]>Abdominal pain

<![if !supportLists]>·        <![endif]>Vomiting of coffee-colored matter

<![if !supportLists]>·        <![endif]>Dark-colored stools

Prevention and Control

<![if !supportLists]>·        <![endif]>Eliminating pockets of stagnant water that serve as mosquito breeding sites at home, workplace and their vicinity

<![if !supportLists]>·        <![endif]>Cover water drums and water pails at all times to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

<![if !supportLists]>·        <![endif]>Replace water in flower vases regularly.

<![if !supportLists]>·        <![endif]>Clean all water containers once a week. Scrub the sides well to remove eggs of mosquitoes sticking to the sides.

<![if !supportLists]>·        <![endif]>Clean gutters of leaves and debris so that rain water will not collect as breeding places of mosquitoes.

<![if !supportLists]>·        <![endif]>Old tires used as roof support should be punctured or cut to avoid accumulation of water.

<![if !supportLists]>·        <![endif]>Wearing protective clothing like long-sleeved shirts, long pants, socks and shoes when outdoors, if at all possible.

<![if !supportLists]>·        <![endif]>Collect and dispose all unusable tin cans, jars, bottles and other items that can collect and hold water.

<![if !supportLists]>·        <![endif]>Don't apply insect repellent underneath clothing, only on exposed skin

<![if !supportLists]>·        <![endif]>Using mosquito nets at home

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