How to prevent dengue in the community

Dengue fever is an acute infectious disease that can cause epidemics caused by dengue virus. The disease is spread by mosquitoes that burn infected people and then spread the disease to healthy people through stings. Two types of infected mosquitoes have the scientific name of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, mainly due to Aedes aegypti.

The disease has two forms (dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever), occurring in all countries in tropical climates. In Vietnam, the disease occurs in most provinces, occurs all year round but often breaks out into a major epidemic in the rainy season.

The danger of dengue fever:

- The disease has no specific treatment drug and no vaccine for disease prevention.

- Often causing a big epidemic with many people at the same time making the treatment very difficult and possibly fatal, especially for children, causing great economic and social losses.

Expression of the disease:

Mild illness: (usually dengue fever, mainly in adults, urban areas, high population density, rarely leading to death)

- High fever suddenly 39 - 40 degrees C, lasting 2 - 7 days, difficult to reduce fever.
- Severe headache in the forehead, behind the eyeball.
- There may be rash, rash.

Severe disease: (usually the dengue hemorrhagic fever, mainly in children with a high mortality rate (30 - 40%)

Include the above signs with one or more of the following signs:

- Signs of hemorrhage: Dermal hemorrhage, nosebleeds, bleeding of the teeth, injection of bruises, vomiting of blood, black stools (due to internal bleeding).
- Abdominal pain, nausea, cold limbs, people struggling, panic (internal seizure syndrome caused by blood loss, hypotension), if not emergency and timely treatment can lead to death death.

What to do when a dengue is suspected:

Immediately send patients to medical establishments for medical examination and treatment. If mild, can care at home by:

- Resting.
- Give plenty of water, can give Oresol solution, juice as possible. Gently snack: porridge, soup, milk.
- Use antipyretics (take paracetamol or put fever-reducing tablets into the anus, do not use aspirin to reduce fever), cool compresses.
- Continuous monitoring, if there are any signs of hemorrhage or more severe changes (tightness, irritability, struggle, cold limbs, abdominal pain, vomiting a lot) should be taken immediately to the hospital.

Characteristics of mosquitoes that transmit dengue fever:

- Mosquitoes are black, body and legs have white spots commonly called midges.
- The zebra mosquito burns people during the day, the most powerful is in the early morning and evening.
- Resident mosquitoes parked indoors, on clothes, blankets, blankets and household appliances.
- Spawn mosquitoes lay eggs, breed in ponds, stagnant water or water containers in and around the house such as water tanks, jars, pots, jars, buckets, wells, tree holes . items Waste items or items containing water such as flowerpot, pantry, tire, coconut shell .

Prevention of dengue fever:

- The best way to prevent diseases is to kill mosquitoes, larvae (larvae larvae) and prevent mosquito bites.

- Eliminate mosquitoes breeding places, kill larvae by:

1. Drop fish or zigzag into all water containers in the house (tank, well, jars, pots, jars, pots .) to kill larvae (larvae).
2. Collect, destroy waste materials around the house such as broken bottles, butter pipes, coconut shells ., clean the environment, turn over the water containers when not in use.
3. Replace water, wash jars, pots, jars, crutches weekly.
4. Put salt in a bowl of chopped feet (cupboard), put moist sand in a flowerpot (cotton vase).

- When epidemics occur, strengthen anti-epidemic measures, quickly reduce mosquito density in the community by spraying mosquito killer chemicals into space.

Mosquito control:

- Wear long-sleeved clothes.
- Sleep in the curtain (mosquito net) even during the day.
- Use mosquito repellent, mosquito repellent, mosquito repellent cream, mosquito killer net .
- Use blinds, mosquito repellent nets.
- For people with dengue fever in the curtain, avoid mosquito bites.

Dr. LE XUAN THUY (COMMUNICATION CENTER FOR CENTRAL HEALTH EDUCATION)