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Monday, May 24, 2004
DOH to implement '4 o'clock' habit to combat dengue
By Jay Dooma Balnig
THE Department of Health (DOH) Regional Office 6 will spearhead Monday the implementation of the "Four O'clock Habit," a clean up drive supported by local government units to control the spread of dengue fever.
As Mayor Jerry Treñas placed the entire city under alert status over the possible outbreak of dengue this month, the DOH will also encourage other local government units and individuals to support the clean up drive.
The drive requires every individual to clean up their surroundings every four in the afternoon to prevent the breeding of dengue-carrying mosquitoes.
As of presstime, 13 dengue cases in Iloilo City have been recorded by the DOH since January.
What is dengue fever?
Dengue fever occurs following the bite of an infected mosquito called Aedes aegypti. This type of mosquito has a peculiar white spotted body and legs.
It breeds in clean water and has a flight range of only 100 to 200 meters. The mosquito gets the dengue virus after biting a human being infected with dengue virus. Like most viral diseases, there is no specific cure for dengue fever.
Dengue-infected patients suffering from dengue may develop bleeding in some common sites like the nose, gums or skin. It does not spread directly from person to person. It is only spread through the bite of an infected mosquito.
The characteristics of dengue that make it different from other causes of fever are the pain behind the eyes, severe pains in the muscles, severe joint pains, and skin rashes.
A patient suspected to be having dengue has reduced platelets or an increase in blood hematocrit.
Dengue can occur because of four different but related strains of dengue virus. If a person has suffered from one virus, there can be a repeat occurrence of dengue if a different strain is involved subsequently. A person could suffer from dengue more than once in a lifetime.
People who suffer from dengue fever have no risk of death, but some of them develop dengue hemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome. In some of these cases, death can occur. With proper treatment, the patients with dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome can recover fully. Good treatment provided in time can save most lives.
(May 24, 2004 issue)
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