LITTLE BITES COULD KILL!!!

Still in relevance to rainy season there is another disease that we should be aware of...DENGUE!
Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) - is an acute infectious viral diseases usually affecting infants and young children. It is characterized by fever during the initial phase, and other symptoms like headache, pain in the eye, joint pains, muscle pain, etc. followed by signs of bleeding, that is petechiae (red tiny spots on the skin), nosebleeding, gumbleeding. If there is blood in the stools and/or blood in the vomitus and accompanied by shock, this is called Dengue Shock Syndrome and is often fatal.

Aedes Aegypti, the transmitter of the disease, is a day-biting mosquito which lays eggs in clear water container, such as flower vases, cans, rain barrels, old rubber tires, etc. The adult mosquitoes rest in dark places of the house.

THE SYMPTOMS OF DENGUE H-FEVER

1. Sudden onset of high fever which may last 2 to 7 days.
2. Joint and muscle pain and pain behind the eyes.
3. Weakness
4. Skin rashes -  maculopapular rash or tiny red spots on the skin called petechiae
5. Nosebleeding when fever starts to subside.
6. Enlargement of the liver
7. Vomitting of coffee-colored matter
8. Dark-colored stools

PREVENTION

@The community should organize themselves to remove all possible breeding places of mosquitoes inside and outside the houses such as tin cans, rubber tires, bottles or drain accumulated water from trees and plants.

@Cover water storage containers to prevent breeding of mosquitoes.

@Clean house gutters to prevent stagnation of rain water.

@Isolate patients suffering from Dengue H-Fever for at least 5 days.

@Report to the nearest health center any suspected case of Dengue H-Fever in the neighborhood.