Prevent Dengue

It is rainy season once again. During this season sickness among children and even adults is very common and the one fever that we all are worried about is Dengue fever.

Recently an alarming number of dengue cases was reported in Mindanao. More than 500 people were affected and most of them were children. In support of the Department of Health’s campaign of anti-dengue drive, we are posting Dengue Prevention Checklist from Campaign Against Dengue.

To prevent the spread of dengue fever, you must first prevent the breeding of its vector, the Aedes mosquito. The Aedes mosquito is easily identifiable by its distinctive black and white stripes on their body. It prefers to breed in clean, stagnant water easily found in our homes. You can get rid of the Aedes mosquito by frequently checking and removing stagnant water in your premises.

At all times

• Turn pails and watering cans over and store them under shelter.
• Remove water in plant pot plates. Clean and scrub the plate thoroughly to remove mosquito eggs. Avoid the use of plant pot plates, if possible.
• Loosen soil from potted plants to prevent the accumulation of stagnant water on the surface of the hardened soil.
• Do not block the flow of water in scupper drains along common corridors in HDB estates. Avoid placing potted plants and other paraphernalia over the scupper drains.
• Cover rarely used gully traps. Replace the gully trap with non-perforated ones and install anti-mosquito valves.
• Cover bamboo pole holders after use. Rainwater can potentially accumulate in these bamboo pole holders if they are uncovered and create a habitat.
• No tray or receptacles should be placed beneath and or/ on top of any air-conditioning unit so as not to create a condition favourable for mosquito breeding.

Every other day

• Change water in flower vases. Clean and scrub the inner sides of vases. Wash roots of flowers and plants thoroughly as mosquito eggs can stick to them easily.

Once a month

• Add prescribed amounts of sand granular insecticide into vases, gully traps and roof gutters, even if they are dry.
• Clear away fallen leaves in roof gutters and apron drains. If structurally feasible, remove the roof gutters.