DON’T let the mosquitoes bite! It’s definitely dengue season once more, with reports of outbreaks in various Metro Manila areas and other parts of the country—health officials even fear the outbreak could be ASEAN-wide—cropping up with worrisome frequency. Highprofile personalities have not been spared, with “Magkaribal” star Derek Ramsey hospitalized for dengue in late August. Some 54,000 dengue cases and 429 deaths have already been recorded in the Philippines, according to the National Epidemiology Center. The number could breach 70,000 cases by yearend, health officials said.

Dengue hemorrhagic fever is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti, “a day-biting mosquito which lays eggs in clear and stagnant water.”

You may be suffering from dengue if you experience a sudden onset of high fever lasting from two days to a week, swollen glands, weakness, joint, abdominal and muscle pain and pain behind the eyes, and maculopapular rash or red tiny spots. Other symptoms include vomiting of coffee-colored matter, dark-colored stools and, when the fever starts to subside, nosebleeds.

Aside from protecting one’s self through the use of mosquito nets, katol and other repellants, and even by wearing pants and long-sleeved tops, the simplest way to avoid dengue is to get rid of everything that could harbor mosquitoes. Here are some tips:

• Cover water drums and water pails at all times.
• Replace water in flower vases once a week.
• Clean all water containers once a week. Scrub the sides well to remove eggs of mosquitoes sticking to the sides.
• Clean gutters of leaves and debris so that rainwater will not collect as breeding places of mosquitoes.
• Puncture or cut old tires to avoid accumulation of water.
• Collect and dispose all unusable cans, jars, bottles and other items that can collect and hold water.

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