Dengue alert case in the Philippines

It was so alarming to hear the news in the Philippines that a lot of kids being affected by Dengue virus. Every day children of younger age are being sent to hospitals in Manila to be confined and treated due to deadly insect mosquito bites. There are four stages or grades of Dengue, Stage I, II, III and IV which the latter is the worst.





I was really baffled when a news reporter just reported a 5 yr. old kid with stage 1 case that was admitted in the hospital died within 24 hours as her stage furiously sky rocketed from case 1 to 4 living her internal organs fail and blood transfusion didn’t even help.

I am so sad to see parents cry out in despair because they cannot do anything and they can’t accept the fact that their little ones are gone because of that one insect bite. The government is doing its best to fight off dengue infected mosquitoes by disseminating information to people on how to be careful and clean their homes as the community also take part of the said drive.

Doctors advice that if you see yourself or your kid with fever not more than 2 days, go to the hospital for a check-up. It is better to prevent rather than to cure so we should all be careful because these insects don’t choose whom to bite. Below is the information on how to know if a person is infected with Dengue Virus:

Stage 1: has fever, low platelet count
Stage 2: has fever, low platelet count, bleeding in nose or gums or paining stomach. The sputum is dark in color and is very weak
Stage 3: has fever, fainted pulse, low blood pressure, the blood veins are being attacked by the virus which will lead to a more serious problem in the vital organs.
Stage 4: no more blood pressure, dengue shock syndrome, cardiac arrest and it will be difficult to treat.

Other complications that shows are skin rashes and people who have been bitten before and got admitted again because of dengue has other complications like getting water in their lungs and making them difficult to breathe. Most kids who have been bitten have weaker immunity to sickness and they say that mosquitoes are attracted to the smell of perspiration.

How to combat and fight Dengue: Here are the simple ways on how to get rid and be safe in times of dengue crisis.

1.Cleaning the inside and outside of the house making sure there is no stagnant water left which female mosquitoes can breed. Tires, vases, potholes, puddles and canals should be cleaned and remove the water so that there will be no breeding ground for these mosquitoes.

2.Using of mosquito repellant on skin and wearing long sleeve shirts, blouses and jogging pants to protect the skin from insect bites.

3.A Citronella plant or scented oil is good to drive away mosquitoes. It is good to have these in your home.

4.Do not believe that some native plant can cure dengue. Consult your physician and only follow what is the right medical treatment and do not self medicate.

5.When removing stagnant water with mosquito eggs and larva, it is best to put salt or hot water into it. Throwing the water will not help if you place it also in a clog drainage or canal.

I hope this article helps a bit in giving information about dengue. Some dengue infected mosquitoes not only bite during daytime but also in night time. So to be sure, install also some screen in your windows and door to block the passage way for these outside mosquitoes to come inside your house. Use insect sprays at home but defog only when there is a report of dengue outbreak in your area.