Dengue Fever Precautions

Rio das Ostras along with most of Brazil is in the middle of a Dengue epidemic.

There are many precautions we should all be taking to work together to lessen the chances for the disease to spread.

According to the NEA:

"To prevent the spread of dengue fever, you must first prevent the breeding of its vector, the Aedes mosquito. The Aedes mosquito is easily identifiable by its distinctive black and white stripes on their body. It prefers to breed in clean, stagnant water easily found in our homes. You can get rid of the Aedes mosquito by frequently checking and removing stagnant water in your premises."

Photo courtesy of aedismosquito.com

This mosquito flies nearly silently, it is not the one you hear buzzing around your ears when you're trying to sleep. It has a one week breeding cycle, so any stagnant water in or around your home should be cleaned out at least every five to seven days.

Ants love to eat their eggs and larvae. If you dump the infested water on the ground the ants will do the clean up for you more effectively than bleach or other cleaners. Just make sure the discarded water doesn't collect in pools on the ground which will allow them to continue growing.

Here are some recommended precautions you can take around your home:

• Turn pails and watering cans over and store them under shelter.
• Remove water in plant pot plates. Clean and scrub the plate thoroughly to remove mosquito eggs. Avoid the use of plant pot plates, if possible.
• Loosen soil from potted plants to prevent the accumulation of stagnant water on the surface of the hardened soil.
• No tray or receptacles should be placed beneath and or/ on top of any air-conditioning unit so as not to create a condition favourable for mosquito breeding.
• Every other day change water in flower vases. Clean and scrub the inner sides of vases. Wash roots of flowers and plants thoroughly as mosquito eggs can stick to them easily.
• Once a week clear fallen leaves and stagnant water in your rain gutters and garden. These leaves could collect water or cause blockages to the drains, thus resulting in the buildup of stagnant water.
• Once a week clear any stagnant water in your air cooler unit.

Your home can have unexpected hiding places for stagnant water. Check the drip tray under your refrigerator, and your drains in all floors. Make sure they are washed out regularly.

For more reading on the subject:
Aedesmosquito.com
US National Environmental Agency
Dengue.gov guidelines
Symptoms and treatment listed by medicine.net