Bengaluru: The city has received scattered rains for a few days and there is a possibility of rain for another couple of days. As the rainy season starts, the city doctors advise the public to be careful about dengue.
Dengue is most prevalent at the beginning of the rainy season. Due to the rains that have been pouring for a few days, the water has stagnated and allowed the mosquitoes to lay their eggs. Due to this there is a fear of dengue fever.
As soon as monsoon starts, Aedes aegypti mosquito lays eggs in stagnant fresh water and starts breeding. Dengue fever appears if this mosquito bites. It is a daytime mosquito, Breeds by laying eggs in stored clear water. The fever manifests itself in three stages: normal fever, dengue hemorrhagic (dehydration) and dengue shock syndrome (blood in the body where the patient may reach a critical stage). Sometimes it becomes necessary to give blood (platelets) to the patient.
At present, more than 300 cases have been reported in the capital, and if there is continuous rain, this number is likely to increase. “Though dengue is not a deadly disease at present, one should be careful about it. If dengue fever worsens, one has to spend more than a week in bed,” says Dr. Sanath Shetty.
Symptoms
Fever, headache, fatigue, cold, sore throat, vomiting, stomach ache, pain in the hand and allergic blisters on the skin.
How to prevent?
Mosquitoes should be controlled to prevent dengue, and thus beware of mosquito bites during the day. It is better to drink pure and boiled water, keep the lid of the water storage tank and tanks tightly closed. Do not store water in pots and pans for a long time. Be careful not to let water stand (stagnant) around the house and on the terrace. Properly dispose of waste like coconut shell, tire etc. Also cleaning of tanks, vessels, and drum by changing water every 2-3 days. Put mesh over windows and doors or use mosquito repellants to keep out mosquitoes and Neem fumigation is good for controlling mosquitoes.