Dengue Prevention

Use preventative measures to eliminate the breeding grounds of dengue mosquitoes, aedes eagypti.
According to a report published by Dr. Prasheela Samaraweera, Sri Lanka had more than 9.000 cases of dengue this year of which 50% were from the Western Province. He is responsible for drafting a bill called the Dengue Prevention Act which has been sent to the Attorney General for review and approval.

Precautions

Dengue as well as Malaria, filarial diseases, yellow fever and chikungunya are spread by mosquitoes. This year about 59 victims of dengue in Sri Lanka died. If a family member has very high fever and intense headache for more than two days accompanied by muscle and joint pains you must suspect dengue fever and seek immediate medical help. If the person develops a rash in addition to the above symptoms, the victim may be coming in for haemorrhagic shock syndrome where the platelet count drops to critical levels. If the victim passes blood in the urine or when vomiting she/he may be going into shock. At this stage she/he needs immediate, expert medical attention.

A family member with high fever should be treated with antipyretic drugs such as paracetamol (Panadol). Never use aspirin or ibuprofen (Brufen, Motrin, Naproxen) for dengue fever because these medications can exacerbate internal bleeding. Use water, fruit juice or any other soft drinks to hydrate the victim. Diarrhea and vomiting are more unfortunate symptoms of this condition. If the victim cannot retain water she/he has to be hydrated with intravenous fluids under medical supervision.

Prevention is the best cure for dengue or any other mosquito-borne diseases. Using mosquito repellants such as coils, sprays, applications and using protective measures such as mosquito nets and wire screening for windows will repell mosquitoes. They can breed in as little as one square inch of standing water which means there are numerous places around the home which can support their procreation. Such breeding grounds for mosquitoes as coconut shells, tins, plastic cups and containers, discarded tyres or any other receptacle that can contain water have to be drained or eliminated. Check your gutters and drains for stagnant water. Go round the house and check for any place where water can collect and get rid of these receptacles. The only place that the mosquito can breed is in water.

During the day they like to rest in tall grass or among shrubs in a moist, shady environment. Keeping the grass and shrubs short will deprive them of a resting place during the day. Rake up any fallen leaves. An overturned leaf can hold enough water to support mosquito eggs and also a place for them to wait out the day. The mosquito that spreads dengue is not very active during the day. They can enter homes around 5.30 PM and in the morning. It is advisable to keep your doors and windows closed during these times. Mosquitoes are also attracted by bright colours. It is advisable to wear white or light-colored clothes in order not to attract their attention.

Most of the treatments for dengue have been tested and approved by the stipulated medical and government bodies that regulate treatment. They do strict tests using approved research methods such as double-blind studies. There is no direct treatment to irradicate the dengue virus. Using vaccine to prevent this disease is still in the experimental stages.

The following treatment is still in an experimental stage and must not be taken as the sole treatment for dengue fever. The people who advocate this simple herbal treatment have lots of faith in it. I would advise you to use this as an adjunct or in addition to conventional dengue treatment. Raw juice from the green papaya leaf seems to have helped a few dengue victims to get their temperature and blood platelet count to normal. The advocates of this treatment say not to boil the leaves, but to squeeze the juice off the leaves and give about two teaspoons of it once a day. The juice must come from raw, (not very tender or not very mature) green papaya leaves. This should be given once a day till the fever subsides and the blood platelet count gets back to normal. I caution again that this is an experimental treatment and is not scientifically tested and proved as a cure for dengue. It is advisable to use this with the other conventional treatments.

Herbal Repellant

Mosquito repellants such ad coils, sprays and oils are effective in warding off these lethal insects from human habitation. There is an additional herbal repellant that could be used to ward off these lethal insects. It is green betel leaves (bulath). Put four to five betel leaves in a blender and blend them adding an adequate amount of water to make them mushy. Pour the mixture into an open plate and keep it exposed in areas like living rooms or bedrooms where mosquitoes gather to feed on human blood. Users swear as to the effectiveness of this herbal mosquito repellant. The paste could be re-used for three to four days as long as it is kept moist by adding water.

Mosquitoes find it very difficult to fly in places where there is breeze or wind. If you have outings in breezy spots such as sea beaches they find it difficul to fly. This also supports the idea of using devices such as electric fans  in places where people congregate. Since mosquitoes tend to fly low, it is advisable to direct the air-flow from the fans to areas just above the floor.

World Health Organisation statistics show that about 25.000 deaths occur annually due to dengue fever. There is no vaccine or direct cure for the dengue virus. Health care workers can only treat the symptoms of the disease. 50% of the Dengue cases in Sri Lanka occur in the Western Province. This is the price we pay for the readily available water resources this area enjoys in comparison to other parts of the country. Fortunately this lethal disease can be prevented by taking common-sense preventative measures that are mentioned above. Until the experts find a vaccine against dengue and discover a cure to this virus, it is advisable for us to take steps to eliminate the breeding grounds of mosquitoes that cause this disease.