The Department of Health (DOH) has ordered hospitals to reactivate “Dengue Express Lanes” due to a 6.8 percent upsurge in the number of dengue cases in the country. There have been 7,361 reported dengue cases from January 1 to June 2, 2007, compared to just 6,695 cases during the same period last year. 73 people have already died of dengue in the past five months.
To make the matter worse, Dr. Eric Tayag, the director of the DOH-National Epidemiology Center, dengue fever has become “hyper endemic” which means it’s already too late for efforts to reduce the number of cases to its previous level.
This is because all four strains of the dengue causing virus are active and are being spread by the mosquito aedes aegypti at the same time; unlike last year, when only one strain of the virus was being spread.
Global warming was also said to be one of the culprits of the increase in incidence.
Warmer temperatures caused by global warming make mosquitoes more hungry for blood and therefore bite people more often in order to feed. Blood makes the mosquito to lay eggs more often thus [there is an] increase in mosquito population. This increased feeding, in turn, completes and perpetuates a deadly cycle: more eggs laid results in more mosquitoes being born, which grow into more carriers of the deadly dengue virus strains.
Further, with four strains of the dengue virus as potential agents of infection, a person can become ill with dengue as many as four times. This is because a person only gains immunity from one strain of the virus at a time. Moreover, subsequent dengue infections following the first would be more serious for the person getting the disease.
Prevention
The DOH advised the public to strictly observe measures in its nationwide anti-dengue campaign. The anti-dengue campaign is now a year-round concern, since dengue cases are now reported during the wet and dry seasons.
The measures in the anti-dengue campaign include the following four “S-es”:
Seek and destroy mosquito breeding places. These include all containers that collect stagnant water, like bottle caps, dish racks, cans, empty bottles and used tires.
Self-protection. This includes covering windows and doors in the house with fine-meshed screens, using mosquito nets, and rubbing insect repellent lotions or sprays onto exposed areas of one’s skin.
Seek medical treatment immediately. High fever lasting 2-7 days, rashes and/or bleeding, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle, joint, or bone pain are some symptoms that could indicate dengue. The DOH advises the public to go to a Dengue Express Lane in a hospital, where proper diagnostic tests for dengue would be administered to a patient.
Say “no” to indiscriminate fogging. The DOH says that no fogging operations should be done in an area unless there are known dengue cases present.
Source: ABS-CBNNEws.com
Tags: Children's Health, Health, Health Tips, health-articles, Health-Information, Health-Magazines, Household-Tips, In the News, Medical-Information, Medicine, Safety-Tips, Tips
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Jun 21, 2007 at 08:20:34
The dark blue font is a little hard to read against a black background.
So far there has been no increase in dengue cases in the hospital I work for (somewhere in Bulacan). But I wouldn’t be surprised if there will be a surge in the dengue cases. It’s still so terribly hot despite the rains.
Jun 22, 2007 at 18:05:59
Thanks. I will change it to a more readable font color right away.