Dengue Outbreak: What You Can Do To Protect Yourself
By making little changes in our lives we can protect ourselves against dengue fever.
The outbreak of dengue fever has been prevalent in Pakistan since the past few years. Recently, more than 150 cases of dengue were reported in Balochistan alone, with three cases of reported deaths.
Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease that has no exact treatment besides managing it through bed rest and hydration. However, by making little changes in our lives we can protect ourselves against it.
Here are a few things we can do to help ourselves and others around us:
Apply mosquito repellent
With the onset of summer season, we are likely to experience an increase in the number of mosquitoes. While lighting mosquito coils is helpful, it is also important to apply mosquito repellents on exposed skin whether we are indoors or outdoors.
However, do not apply the repellent on wounds or cuts or areas near the eyes and mouth.
Wear long sleeves or pants
If you reside in an area where there has been a reported case of dengue fever, you should wear long-sleeves shirts, pants and socks when outdoors.
Cover up when asleep
If you own an air condition then it is best to switch it on while sleeping. However, if you do not have one, use mosquito nets.
Related: How To Use Papaya Leaves To Treat Dengue Patients
Don’t leave clean water containers exposed
The female Anopheles mosquito through which the dengue fever is transmitted breeds on clean water. To protect our homes from dengue mosquitoes it is important to not only use insecticide sprays but also cover any fresh water containers.
If you have a lawn or potted plants inside the house, make sure that you loosen the soil to avoid accumulation of water on surface.
Most importantly, in case of any visible symptoms of dengue fever visit a doctor immediately.
