5 Steps to prevent dengue fever

Dwi Laksono A. 1106089073

Foreword

What is dengue fever ?

Dengue Fever is an illness caused by infection with a virus transmitted by the Aedes mosquito

There are two types of dengue fever

• Dengue fever which manifests itself as a flu-like illness• Dengue hemorrhagic fever which is a severe, often fatal, complication of dengue fever

Aedes mosquito

Life cycle of the Aedes mosquito

For Your Info...• Dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever are the

most common mosquito-borne viral disease in the world

• Only the female mosquito feeds on blood. This is because they need the protein found in blood to produce eggs. Male mosquitoes feed only on plant nectar

• The mosquito is attracted by the body odours, carbon dioxide and heat emitted from the animal or humans.

• The female Aedes mosquito searches for suitable places to lay their eggs

• Aedes are day-biters, most active during dawn and dusk

5 Steps to prevent dengue fever

1. Prevent Mosquitoes from Breeding!2. How to Prevent Mosquitoes Bites3. Clean your home regularly4. Fogging your house5. Plant mosquito repellent plants

1. Prevent Mosquitoes from Breeding!

• Change water in vases or bowls every other day & Add sand granular insecticide to

water• Remove water from flower pot plates

every other day• Turn over all storage containers • Inform your parents or any adults in your

household to cover bamboo pole holders when not in use

• Clear blockages and put Bti insecticide in roof gutters at least once a month

2. How to Prevent Mosquitoes Bites

• Wear shoes, socks, long pants and long-sleeved shirt

• Using Mosquito coils• Using Mosquito nets• Spray garlic powder and water all over

the yard and bushes. Use a fertilizer hose attachment. Will need to be done bi-weekly (approx) or after a heavy rain.

3.Clean your home regularlyAims to check for aedes mosquito

breeding areas in your home :

• Don’t litter,discard unwanted cups and bottles,which collect rain water and breed mosquito, into litterbins

• Air-con tray, remove air-conditioner trays,engage a contractor to redirect water from air-conditioner to the bathroom

• Flowerpot plates,avoid using flowerpot plates,remove plates on alternate days,scrub the plates throughly to remove mosquito eggs

• If you are vacating your home from holiday,turn over all water containers and keep them dry,cover all gully traps and toilet bowls,seal off the overflow pipe of flushing cistern

4. Fogging your house

Fogging, using the nauseous gas Malathion, is used to kill the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the carrier of the dengue virus, to stop transmission of the disease

Negative Influence of fogging

•  The chemical contains toxins that may cause intestinal problems, brain damage, respiratory problems, among others.

• Fogging does not totally eradicate the dengue-carrying mosquito as it just transfers to other place which had not been fogged

• Fogging just kills the adult mosquito but leaves the kiti-kiti (larvae) to thrive

• Fogging is only advisable in highly-concentrated areas where there are already outbreaks in the dengue case. To declare an outbreak, there must be clustering of cases in significant areas.

5. Plant mosquito repellent plants

The most common way of repelling or getting rid of mosquitoes involves spraying a large quantity of poisonous chemicals in your yard and on yourself. If you are interested in a more natural approach, consider these plants that repel mosquitoes

Reppellent Plants

• Citronella GrassThe oil of Citronella Grass is putted in candles and lanterns that can be burned in your yard to repel mosquitoes. Citronella grass is actually a tropic plant that grows to be six feet tall, so it might not be practical in the average suburban backyard.

• CatnipCatnip is an herb that is most commonly used to stuff in toys or feed to cats for their enjoyment. However, the oil from this plant has actually been found to be more than ten times better at repelling mosquitoes than DEET(slightly yellow oil. It is the most common active ingredient in insect repellents). Planting this plant near your patio or deck will help repel mosquitoes

• RosemaryThis garden herb also has an oil that repels mosquitoes. While they are attractive plants that both repel mosquitoes and can add interest to your cooking, they are truly tropical plants that are not hardy in cold climates. You can, however, grow rosemary in a pot and take it inside in the winter.

bibliography

• Cook,Gordon & Alimuddin.2009.Manson’s tropical diseases.China : Elsevier

• Halstead,Scoot.2008.Dengue.Singapore : Stallion Press

• Atkinson,Peter.2010Vector Biology,Ecology and Control.USA:Springer Science