Ziqitza Rajasthan - Why is National Dengue Day observed?

 

National Dengue Day is observed every year on May 16th in India under the recommendation of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The day is observed to generate awareness about dengue fever and to promote and intensify the measures to control the spread of the disease.

 

Ziqitza Healthcare explains that Dengue fever is a tropical disease and is mosquito-borne. The disease is caused by the virus called dengue. The disease has a gestation period of thirteen to fourteen days and the symptoms typically do not appear before that. The dengue fever symptoms include vomiting, high fever, headache, joint aches etc and the person suffering from dengue develops a characteristic skin rash peculiar to dengue only. The recovery time usually ranges between two to seven days, however, in rare scenarios, the disease develops into a more severe dengue hemorrhagic fever. Ziqitza further explains that the dengue hemorrhagic fever could lead to bleeding, lower count of blood platelets, low blood pressure and other fatal symptoms.

 

Ziqitza Healthcare ltd further elaborates that dengue is spread by several species of female mosquitoes belonging to Aedes genus, more specifically Aedes aegypti. The virus is classified into five different kinds of serotypes. If you’re infected by one type, you develop lifelong immunity to that type, however, short-term immunity to other types. A subsequent infection from different types increases the chances of developing severe and fatal complications.

 

India experiences a large amount of dengue cases during the transmission seasons. In the year 2017, Tamil Nadu reported the maximum number of dengue cases. The state was followed by Kerala, Karnataka, Punjab, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Delhi and other states. Ziqitza Rajasthan stresses on the World Health Organisation’s report that the incidences of dengue has increased exponentially around the world. WHO estimates that the world experiences on average a 100-400 million cases of infection every year.

 

Dengue is potentially a fatal disease and is most commonly found in tropical and subtropical climates. While the country is dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, Ziqitza Limited lays out that it is absolutely imperative that serious measures are undertaken to prevent concurrent outbreak of dengue. The cases of dengue follow a seasonal pattern and typically rise between July to November. ZHL Rajasthan asserts that timely preventive measures can play an efficient role in curbing the spread of dengue fever.

 

-          Removal of stagnant water: The  Aedes mosquito responsible for transmitting the dengue fever breeds in stagnant water, and this is the precise reason why dengue cases catapults during monsoons. Exposed flower vases, water containers, pots, buckets etc must be cleaned regularly and replaced with fresh water. One must use larvicides when possible to kill the larvae of the Aedes mosquito. Exposed containers with stagnant water must be kept covered always in order to prevent the infestation.

-          Keep hands and legs covered: One must always keep their hands and legs covered during the season time of the dengue. Proper coverage of hands and legs can prevent mosquito bites. One should avoid using aromatic perfumes and soaps etc and must apply a generous amount of mosquito repellants when stepping outside. Ziqitza Limited Rajasthan further advises that during monsoons, one must avoid dengue hotspots and areas where water gets accumulated.

-          Keep your homes safe from mosquitos: Not just outside, one must keep their guard on even inside the house against the mosquitoes. Window screens and other structural barriers must be installed at homes to stop mosquitoes from entering the house. If using a mosquito net, then it must be insecticide treated. Over the counter available coils and vaporisers are effective against mosquitoes, they can also be used inside houses lest you are not allergic to them.

-          Responsible waste segregation: Practising separate disposal of dry waste and wet waste is not just an eco-friendly practice, but is also crucial to curtail the spread of dengue. Wet garbage offers perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. Responsible segregation and disposal of wet waste ensures safety of all stakeholder involved in waste handling.

 

National Dengue Day is an affirmative step taken by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to create awareness about dengue fever and promote preventive measures to curb the spread of the disease and outbreaks. Ziqitza Health care limited notes that the observance is a constructive effort to mobilise state government, civic bodies, nonprofits to improve the country’s preparedness and vigilance against dengue. Preventive measures are necessary to curb the outbreak of diseases and to not put extra avoidable burden on the health infrastructure and system of the country.