Clearing Myths about Dengue Part4
By Faisal Javed MirWelcome Our Respected Readers,
A lot has been said by medical experts on prevention/precautions of dengue fever: and local, provincial and national government also launched very heavy campaigns to control havoc/panic created by dengue fever. First Aid to Save a Life Pakistan would like to discuss some of the myths while discussing precautions and medications for dengue fever.
We have released 3 posts to clear the myths associated with dengue fever and this is our fourth post on the same subject, “Myths about Dengue!”
In our today’s post we will highlight one more myth associated with dengue and while presenting the rationale against the steps taken and advised by governmental authorities in Pakistan to control dengue are beyond our understanding.
4:- Drain the water from swimming pool and cultured water fountain then dry it and refill it 2 times a week – might be a problem for WAPDA and WASA/LSWM organizations also or might be a solution to combat dengue? Doubtful? This should be a BIG NO!
I was surprised the day I heard the news that government has issued the directive to stop service stations in Lahore from working and asked the hotels and owners of private swimming pools to drain the water and dry the pools to help them control dengue spread observed in Lahore in earlier September 2011.
To someone this may appear to be an act of bravery of CM or very calculated and proactive response to control the epidemic but there are also number of persons who think it was & still is not required and have nothing common to stop/control breeding of aedes mosquitoes. They also believe that this was a face-saving step to tell nation that they (government) do care about us and can go to every limit to save their lives.
Dengue mosquitoes don’t live near swimming pools and there is no record from any country who have asked their citizens to drain and dry their pools 2 times a week. See below notification by Govt. of Punjab in a newspaper and read clause # 5 for your information.
One thing we would like to appraise here is the promulgation of regulation to stop the infectious diseases and hope it does work well to have long-term benefits and fulfill its prime objective in near future.
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention is the world leader (arguably) research center works to protect public health and safety by providing information to enhance health decisions, and it promotes health through partnerships with state health departments and other organizations. CDC focus disease prevention and control (especially infectious diseases and foodborne pathogens and other microbial infections), environmental health, occupational safety and health, health promotion, injury prevention and education activities designed to improve the health of the people of USA and in partnership with other global research centers and organizations like WHO.
Recently CDC has released two MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) Surveillance Summaries: “Surveillance for Waterborne Disease Outbreaks and Other Health Events Associated with Recreational Water—United States, 2007-2008” and “Surveillance for Waterborne Disease Outbreaks Associated with Drinking Water—United States, 2007-2008.”
The reports cover outbreaks associated with recreational water (e.g., swimming pools) and drinking water. In 2007-2008, the most recent year for which waterborne disease outbreak data are finalized, 134 outbreaks were associated with recreational water and 36 outbreaks were associated with drinking water. Surprisingly (for us) there is no mentioning of aedes mosquitoes presence which causing nuisance or leading to outbreak or even threat to their public in recreational water (e.g., swimming pool). We don’t have any research center in Pakistan on dengue yet we know that swimming pools help them breed and should be drained! Oops I forgot to complete my words that they should be drained and dried, “2 times a week”!
To Your Health, Safety & Knowledge,
Faisal Javed Mir
Other Related Posts:
Clearing Mythos about Dengue Part3
Clearing Myths about Dengue! Part3
By Faisal Javed MirWelcome Our Respected Readers,
A lot has been said by medical experts on prevention/precautions of dengue fever: and local, provincial and national government also launched very heavy campaigns to control havoc/panic created by dengue fever. First Aid to Save a Life Pakistan would like to discuss some of the myths while discussing precautions and medications relating to dengue fever.
3:- Misguiding the nation and many less-educated people
with irresponsible media campaign – If dengue doesn’t spread by
specific breed of mosquito then what is aedes
aegypti?
I got amazed when I read news reports like this (below given) from very senior medical officials. I don’t know why this is happening but what else I know is that citizens of Pakistan are receiving double meaning statements (might be caused by poor reporting) which is not helping them understand what dengue virus is and how it spreads. Do read below news article especially 4th last line to onward.
Where most of the government officials are portraying that dengue virus spreads when aegypti mosquito from aedes genus bites an infected person and transmits the virus to others with next bite. There are also three other mosquito breeds from aedes genus those can spread this virus but never named before. Aedes Albopictus is the other breed which has been identified by World Health Organization Pakistan as a vector who spread this virus. And some of the very senior medical executives saying that there is no specific mosquito who spreads dengue virus.
I just like to mention here an old quote which is very true in case of dengue fever.
“Prevention is the best CURE.“
To Your Health & Safety,
Faisal Javed Mir
Other Related Posts:
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