Following weeks of dry and almost no-rain weather, the fear of the inevitable has struck again right into the hearts of us fellow Malaysians – the outbreak of dengue! Such fatal widespread disease cases have increased at a horrifying rate throughout the years, ranging from 6,000 cases in 1995 to over 43,000 cases in 2013; 92 deaths were reported in the Year 2013 but, in 2014 from January 1st to 22nd alone, there were 6,155 reported dengue cases with 22 deaths up until February 2014. This deadly epidemic disease is now back and the number of cases is soaring high, let alone the rising death toll.
Despite the always intensive control measures undertaken by the Health Ministry to attempt to contain the virus and to prevent the situation from being worsened (say, fumigation on the streets, residential areas, construction sites, sewage areas, and so forth), the virus can, however, never be completely eradicated so long as there are mosquitoes roaming about. To effectively minimize and control such health hazard will require the cooperation of both parties, i.e. us and the government, because, only through this way can the result be improved; after all, a tug-of-war requires two teams to pull each end of a rope in order to justify the name of the game. Hence, besides the government, society at large plays a major role in this as well.
The following are what we can do to help curb the said pest problem:
(i) As we all know, mosquitoes are synonymous with filth in that insanitary and dank areas are their favorite breeding grounds. Therefore, maintaining a sanitary environment is important — Trash and other waste materials must be properly disposed of; water closets must be kept clean and reasonably dry at all times when not in use; and take heed of stagnant water areas such as a pond, bucket of water, flowerpots, et cetera, for they must be managed well (Empty and change the water in flowerpots, water storage containers, receptacles, vases, and the like regularly on alternate days).
(ii) Periodic organization of public cleaning campaigns is highly encouraged and recommended. Street cleaning and disposal of scattered garbage piles can be an effective solution to minimizing the dengue problem. Concentrate on garbage dumps and moist areas for these are the hotbeds for mosquito breeding.
(iii) To avoid infection with breakbone fever as a result of Aedes mosquito bites, it is advisable to use mosquito repellent often and to wear long-sleeved clothing and long pants as added protections. Moreover, installing mosquito screens in windows and covering your bed with mosquito net when you sleep will help to reduce the risk too.
(iv) Engage a professional pest controller for a more thorough and complete mosquito control solution.
We must disencumber the luxury of our complacency and start acting now before the situation gets even worse.
Contact AntiPest (03-8023 1888) today for a free and non-obligatory consultation and inspection to safeguard the health of your family and your loved ones. Kindly visit our website at http://www.antipest.com.my for more information.
References
http://www.thestar.com.my/Lifestyle/Health/2014/02/09/The-dengue-menace/
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/dengue-deaths-soar-in-malaysia
http://www.dengue.gov.sg/subject.asp?id=101