EXPERT TIPS TO FIGHT PEST & DISEASES - DENGUE GETS DEADLIER – AND IT CAN STRIKE MULTIPLE TIMES

Dengue is a mosquito-borne tropical disease. It is transmitted by the bite of Aedes mosquito that breed in containers with clear and stagnant water. Primary symptoms of dengue are headache, high fever, vomiting, joint pain, muscle pain, etc. The experts say that dengue, virus has four types of infection.

Every year over 50 million people contracted by dengue virus acquire dengue fever. The situation is even worse for the people who adopt repeat infections. They might come down with haemorrhagic dengue fever and suffer from liver damage and massive internal bleeding.

The virus causing dengue fever comes in four strains and immunity to one seems to make infection by a second strain more dangerous. Therefore, a subsequent infection of another type extends the risk of severe complications. According to a research by Dengue Antigenic Cartography Consortium, there is a considerable antigenic difference within each dengue serotype.

The doctors have claimed that it is comparatively easy to recover from dengue if a person is infected for the first time. But if the person contacts the infection again, the response of antibodies is more robust this time. This will aggravate the symptoms further, which might result in acute sickness.

There are no specific treatments or vaccines available for dengue. Therefore, the best measure is to stay safe by taking adequate precautions in order to prevent dengue infections. As they say ‘prevention is better than cure’. Some of the precaution measures contributing to dengue prevention are:

Clean water storage

Stagnant or accumulated water is the most preferred breeding ground for dengue mosquitos. One must not store water in open containers and rather use containers with closing lids. Proper cleaning of water storages should be assured on regular intervals to avoid mosquito breeding.

leaner Surroundings

It is important to clear your surroundings by discarding unwanted things like broken pots, flower vase, tyres, oil drums, etc. which may be the source of water collection. It is also necessary to clean the rooftops, floor and furniture of the house regularly using disinfectants to keep the place uncontaminated.

Using nets and window covers

Always use a mosquito net while taking a nap. Cover your windows with screens to avoid mosquitos from entering your house.

Using Mosquito Repellents

There are variety of mosquito repellent options available in the market in form of sprays, creams, coils, etc. Using such repellents will keep the mosquitos away and reduce your chances of acquiring infection. There are companies like ‘Mortein’ which have wide range of products and sub variants for tackling mosquitos and infections spread by them.