Dengue: A Brief Introduction
Rainy seasons used to bring blissful memories of the childhood as kids would frolic in the heavy downpour, but not anymore to people that are caught by Dengue.
Spiking fever, intense muscle joint pain, rashes all over the skin and possibly death–can inflict a terrifying misery. It now threatens more than 2.5 billion people all over the world and the Department of Health (DOH) estimated that some 220 Filipinos a day may be infected by the disease.
As of July 2, there have 59, 585 cases of dengue reported in the Philippines, including 248 deaths. This is 31.4 percent higher than that reported during the same period in 2015 with 45, 338 cases. The Philippines is one of four countries in the Western Pacific which reported the highest incidence in recent years.
Dengue is a disease common to tropical and sub-tropical zones in the world, like the Philippines, but now can also be found on most continents except Antarctica, that is transmitted through a bite of a female Aedes mosquito. This is one of the most dangerous types of mosquitoes that feeds on the blood of humans. Just think of a vampire that sucks your blood and immediately you get infected and be one of them.
The female Aedes mosquitoes lay their eggs on the surface of waters. The mature Aedes mosquito breeds, feeds or dies within a week or two, which is the life cycle of all mosquitoes. These kinds of mosquitoes are small, dark with conspicuous white markings and banded legs, so if these blood-sucking creatures happen to perch on your skin, better hit them before they sip your blood and suffer from dengue fever.
Whenever you caught a dengue fever, you’ll feel so much pain in your head and muscle joints. You’ll also suffer from nausea and sometimes blood will pour out of your nose. Often times, someone who has been bitten by a mosquito that carries dengue virus will have on and off fever and will have rashes all over the body. So if you feel these symptoms, you might want to check the doctor and have your body be tested.
Mosquitoes have a sophisticated set of survival skills that have been improved through 170 million years of evolution. They are believed to have the best senses among other insects, especially the sense of sight which enables them to single out a target moving mammal from hundreds feet away. They are not so meticulous in diet because any warm-blooded creature is a meal to them.
To be protected from these mosquitoes, get rid of the places where they can breed such as tires, cans and flower vases that collect rain. Changing the water on vases regularly also helps in reducing the mosquito population. When outdoors, wear light-colored shirts because mosquitoes are most attracted to dark-colored resources. As possible, use insect repellents, whether indoors or outdoors. But the most important thing to do is to keep your environment free from waste.
