Effective self-prevention of dengue fever with WHO recommendations

This is an automatically translated article.

This article was professionally consulted with Master, Doctor Nguyen Thi Nhat - Infectious Disease Specialist - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.
Dengue fever is an acute infectious disease caused by the dengue virus. The disease is spread mainly by the Aedes aegypti mosquito that bites an infected person and then transmits the disease to a healthy person through the bite. Therefore, the best way to prevent dengue is to kill mosquitoes, larvae, larvae, prevent mosquito bites and keep the house and surrounding environment clean.

1. Eliminate breeding and resting places of mosquitoes, kill larvae/larvae

Female mosquitoes lay eggs in places with standing water such as: Household water containers (jars, basins, jars, water tanks,...), in broken bowls with standing water, even in car tires bowls, bottles,... After 2-3 days, mosquito eggs hatch into larvae (larval larvae), then develop into midges. Mosquitoes usually live indoors, sheltering in damp, dark places. Reducing or destroying the water reservoirs where mosquitoes breed, improving the environment, the mosquito density will decrease. According to the motto: Without larva, without mosquito, there is no dengue fever.
Therefore, eliminating mosquito breeding and hiding places and killing larva is the first thing to do. In households, the following measures should be taken:
Seal all water containers to prevent mosquitoes from entering and laying eggs. A female mosquito's life cycle can lay from a few dozen to several hundred eggs. Therefore, households can put small fish, guppies or maze in large water containers to kill larvae/larvae. Clean small and medium-sized water containers (lub, chop...) weekly. The rim of a water container can be scrubbed with a brush because the mosquitoes that transmit dengue often lay their eggs at the water's edge. Collect and destroy waste items in and around the house, clean up the environment, turn water containers upside down when not in use to avoid standing water. Neatly arranging furniture in the house will help limit mosquito hiding places. For water containers such as refrigerator water trays, water bowls or cupboards, etc., people can add salt or cooking oil to the water to prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs. Flower pots must be changed regularly. Smoke to repel mosquitoes. Fill water holes with soil or rocks or drain the water holes. Clearing up trees: Both reduce the breeding ground of species that like to lay eggs in shaded waterholes, and destroy the shelter of adult mosquitoes. Water treatment, unblocking sewers.

2. Prevention of mosquito bites

Prevention of dengue fever by preventing mosquito bites includes preventing mosquitoes from sucking human blood by following measures:
Wear long-sleeved clothing. Sleep under nets/nets even during the day. Using mosquito spray, mosquito scent, mosquito repellant cream, electric mosquito net... Indoor insect spray, mosquito scent or mosquito repellant cream can reduce the biting activity of mosquitoes. Using curtains, mosquito nets, and air conditioners can all reduce the risk of mosquitoes entering the house and biting everyone in the family. People with dengue fever need to stay in bed to avoid mosquito bites that spread the disease to others. For children, to effectively prevent dengue fever for children, parents must regularly remind and observe the children. Do not allow children to play in damp places, and dark places with dense trees. In addition, pay attention to sleeping with nets, and wear long-sleeved clothes for children to prevent illness.

3. Actively coordinate with the authorities and the health sector in chemical sprays to prevent epidemics

To spray insecticide effectively, it is best to periodically spray insecticide at the beginning of the rainy season and at the end of the rainy season. However, it is necessary to spray anti-epidemic chemicals properly to achieve high efficiency.
To ensure effective mosquito spraying, the community should actively coordinate with the government and the health sector in spraying chemicals to prevent epidemics, and at the same time carry out environmental sanitation. , kill squirrels, sets of sticks at the same time to completely destroy mosquito nests in residential areas. If a household only sprays insecticide on an area of ​​the house but does not spray it all, or in the same area, some households spray and some do not, there may still be cases of mosquitoes flying from this house. to another house, making spraying less effective.
According to the assessment of health authorities, mosquitoes in some places in Hanoi have increased their resistance to chemicals because people arbitrarily use insecticides incorrectly, but if sprayed with the right type and dose The amount is still enough to kill mosquitoes.
Doctors recommend people to close windows, doors, and ventilation holes when spraying. Food utensils should be cleaned up before spraying to avoid chemical contamination. After spraying, you should leave the house and come back after about 30 minutes to 1 hour. For some people with sensitive terrain, if the drug is on their body, they need to be washed, if it is worse, they must go to a medical facility to be examined and treated by a doctor.
In addition to applying the above measures, raising awareness for everyone in the disease room is extremely important. Dengue fever prevention will no longer be a difficult problem if the necessary measures are applied correctly and sufficiently.

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