Dengue prevention and control: 5 steps to make your home a safe zone for your family

Soon summer season will be followed by the great Indian monsoon. And mosquito populations will flourish - bringing along diseases like chikungunya, malaria, dengue etc. Here's how to stay safe from these vector-borne diseases.
Zika Mosquito PTI image

Dengue is a vector-borne illness spread through bites by mosquitoes that breed on stagnant and accumulated fresh water.

Photo : iStock
You may be eagerly awaiting the Kerala monsoon that arrives in the early part of June every year. But the period of June to October is dubbed the Dengue Season of India.
While the rainy season is knocking at the doors, here’s a primer on the mosquito-borne illnesses you need to guard against at this time of the year.
As many as 3.6 billion people (or 40 per cent of the world's people) reside in dengue-endemic areas. Each year, an estimated 400 million people are infected with the dengue virus, nearly 100 million become ill with dengue, and approximately 21,000 deaths are attributed to dengue.
Ahead of National Dengue Day (May 16th), the doctors of the Sir H N Reliance Foundation Hospital, Girgaon, Mumbai, are issuing alerts to the general population to guard themselves against vector-borne illnesses like Dengue, Chikungunya, Malaria, etc.
The Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai is a premier healthcare institution associated with some of the finest medical professionals who carry an international reputation, across almost all specialities.
Dr Preeti Chhabria, Director, Internal Medicine and General Medicine at Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital, Girgaon (Mumbai) says Dengue prevention and control should be everyone’s concern. She highlights that the preventive precautions that need to be undertaken are the responsibility of both - individuals and society. Dr Preeti Chhabria says one must not take any fevers lightly.
5 precautions against Dengue suggested by Dr Preeti Chhabria:
1. Avoid the collection of stagnant water in pots or pans. These allow mosquitoes to breed.
2. Use mosquito repellant creams on the exposed skin and clothes
3. Use insect repellant via electrical sockets inside rooms and a mosquito repellant treated net over the beds. These are effective methods to prevent mosquito bites.
4. Use government authorised spraying of insecticides in the building compounds.
5. Vaccines are being developed but are not mainstream as yet. Till then, precaution is your best bet.
Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.
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