Simple ways to prevent Dengue Virus?

Dengue is one of the most common diseases caused by Aedes mosquito during the monsoons.

Regular flu can be due to a simple viral or bacterial infection.

However, Dengue is a more dangerous virus and it requires an active approach from the public.

Dengue is a totally preventable disease. Hidoc recommends a few steps to keep yourself and your family safe!

Prevention

Dengue doesn’t spread from person to person. The best way of prevention is to avoid bitten by mosquitoes. Here are few simple and practical advice to keep dengue at bay.

Avoid Stagnant Water

The Aedes mosquito chooses to breed in clean, stagnant water. It is vital to often check and remove stagnant water from home or premises.

• Turn buckets and watering cans over, store them below shelter so that water won’t accumulate in them.
• Take away the water from plant pots. Clean and Scrub the pots thoroughly to remove the mosquito eggs.
• Loosen the soil to avoid puddles from developing on the surface of the soil.
• Change the water and scrub the flower vases from inside thoroughly.
• Avoid growth of puddles and stagnant water by removing leaves and dirt.
• Do not gather old tyres, water tanks, and plastic containers as these are the breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
• Clean Water tanks and keep all water resources completely covered.
• Coconut shells should not be left lying around to avoid the accumulation of water.
• Empty the construction dumpster at least once a week to break up the mosquito life cycle.

Clothing

The chances of the mosquito bite are considerably reduced if a very little skin is exposed. Hence, it is recommended to wear full sleeves shirts, and long pants to avoid mosquito bites.

Mosquito Repellents

Use mosquito repellents regularly to protect against mosquito bites. The various ways in which repellents can be used are:

• Use natural repellents such as lavender, Neem oil, and cinnamon oil. Apply these liquids on your body to keep mosquitoes away.
• There are various plants that have mosquito repellent properties such as feverfew, citronella, catnip and lavender. Plant them around the house to keep mosquitoes at bay.
• Use repellent coils to keep mosquitoes away. Coil repellents containing at least 10% concentration of DEET (diethyltoluamide) are recommended.
• Use mosquito nets while sleeping. It is the most effective measure to keep mosquitoes at bay by the night.
• Permethrin (Cream) can be applied to clothes, shoes, campaign gear and bed nets to repel mosquitoes at work.

Doors and Windows

Make sure that the window and door screen do not have any holes or block such areas to prevent mosquitoes. For windows, Hidoc recommends using structural barriers such as window screens or netting.

Fragrance

Avoid using heavily fragrant soaps and perfumes as they attract the mosquitoes.