MikeLigalig.com

By Rey Anthony Chiu
Philippine Information Agency

Aedes Aegypti, the dengue fever carrying mosquito may be a day biting mosquito, but it could also bite at night, says Provincial Health Team Leader Dr. Portia Reyes.

Given the daylight simulation or an extremely bright environment, the mosquitoes may think its still daytime and continue biting.

The statement also came after Bohol noted an alarming increase in dengue infection and just as health authorities noted 206 cases and at least 4 deaths already since January.

Speaking at the weekly Kapihan sa PIA, Dr Reyes echoed health authorities’ concern as they call for strict adherence to the national anti-dengue prevention plan.

The Aedes mosquito has been pointed as responsible for the spread of the dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) as manifested by bleeding, or of dengue shock syndrome (DSS).

The mosquito lives close to human habitations and is initially reported to bite only during the day. Dengue fever is caused by infection with a type of virus called the Flavivirus.

With the threat, Dr. Reyes reiterated prevention as the best weapon against it and stressed that control and elimination of the mosquito population is still the best method of prevention.

At this, sanitary inspector Romeo Cabanes of the Provincial Health Office said fogging operations may not be very effective since those mosquitoes hit by the chemicals may not necessarily be the dengue transmitting kind. Moreover, he stressed that the Clean Air Act has outlawed the use of diesel fuel based fogging machines.

Supporting Dr. Reyes’ call, Cabanes said the mosquito breeds in relatively fresh water and eliminating stagnant water may discourage the breeding of the pests.

According to sources, a bitten patient may not yet develop the symptoms as incubation period between bite and the onset of symptoms is usually two to seven days.

“A large number of infections may be sub-clinical, that is, the patients may not even be aware that they have had the disease. The infection usually manifests itself as fever with severe body pain or myalgia (pamaul). There may be an associated rash over parts of the body. The body pain is so intense that the disease has been called break-bone fever”, a doctor shared.

Quite often, the disease makes no further progress and the patients recover. This however is a cause for alarm as bleeding may have started.

Patients may develop involvement of either of the two dreaded syndromes - bleeding (called DHF or Dengue Hemorraghic Fever) or altered consciousness (encephalitis). Fatalities are higher among patients in whom these complications are present. not be true arthritis.
Dengue associated symptoms include severe headache, vomiting, and photophobia.

Examination of the patient may reveal few findings such as a rash and pain on palpation of the muscles lasting for two to five days and most patients who do not have complications recover completely. (rachiu/PIA, July 7, 2007)


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