Hope Christian High School

Tips on Preventing Dengue

Written by Sean Alvin Yu Tuesday, 14 February 2012 16:12

 

Due to the rampant cases of dengue in the Philippines, this calls for a public concern. With typhoons and various calamities striking consecutively, puddles of rainwater are formed, making them breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

People infected with the dengue virus are usually asymptomatic (80%) or only have mild symptoms like uncomplicated fever. Others have more severe illness (5%), and in small proportions, it is life-threatening. The incubation period ranges from three - fourteen days, but it normally ranges between four – seven days.

Therefore, travelers returning from endemic areas are unlikely to have dengue, if fever or other symptoms start more than 14 days after arriving home. Children often experience symptoms similar to those of the common cold and gastroenteritis (vomiting and diarrhea), but are more susceptible to the severe complications. The primary method of eliminating dengue is by having a clean environment. The primary habitat of this virus is stagnant water. One way to temporarily eliminate its habitat is to add insecticides or biological control agents to these areas. Reducing collections of water or emptying of water containers are the preferred methods of control, because of the negative health effects from the use of insecticides and greater logistical difficulties with control agents. People can also prevent mosquito bites by wearing clothing that fully covers the skin, using mosquito nets or insect repellents such as lotions.

Dengue virus is primarily transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, which usually lives between the latitudes of 35° North and 35° South below an elevation of 1,000 metres (3,300 ft). Humans are the primary hosts of the virus, but it also circulates in non-human primates. The virus is transmitted from the host to the mosquito when the mosquito takes a blood meal from the host. Then it takes about eight – 10 days for the virus to circulate around the mosquito, which then spreads into the mosquito’s salivary glands.

 

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