Dengue is important to us because it is a serious illness; it is

on the increase in Pakistan

The most deadly form of dengue fever, Dengue Hemorrhagic
Fever has been found to be in the territory

Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever can cause DEATH
Dengue is the most rapidly spreading mosquito-borne viral
disease in the world

In the last 50 years, incidence has increased 30-fold

An estimated 50 million dengue infections occur annually

Approximately 2.5 billion people live in dengue endemic
countries

Nearly half million develop DHS/ DSS & 25,000 die annually
In Pakistan, the first confirmed outbreak of DHF occurred in
1994

A DEN-3 epidemic with DHF was first reported in 2005

In 2005--2006 outbreaks of suspected dengue were also
recorded in Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen

Expansion of dengue infections with increasing frequency
and severity has been reported from large cities in Pakistan
as far north as the KPK Province in 2008.

Dengue is now a reportable disease in Pakistan
Dengue Fever is an illness that results from contracting the
dengue virus from the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti
mosquito that is carrying the virus

There are four types of dengue viruses

When a person has had one type of dengue virus infection
once in his/her life, and later gets infected with another type
of dengue virus, that person is in danger of getting Dengue
Hemorrhagic Fever. This fever can kill
Abrupt onset of high fever
Severe frontal headache
Pain behind the eyes which worsens with eye movement
Muscle and joint pains
Loss of sense of taste and appetite
Measles-like rash over chest and upper limbs
Nausea and vomiting
Symptoms similar to dengue fever plus:
Frequent vomiting with or without blood
Internal bleeding which can lead to shock
Difficulty in breathing

This fever can be difficult to treat, and in some cases even with
the best medical care people die

Do not wait, see a doctor immediately. It is crucial to quickly
treat anyone with these complications
One distinct physical feature
black and white stripes on its body
and legs.

Bites during the day.

Lays its eggs in clean, stagnant
water.

Close-up of an Aedes
mosquito
Only the female Aedes mosquito feeds on
blood. This is because they need the protein
found in blood to produce eggs. Male
mosquitoes feed only on plant nectar.

On average, a female Aedes mosquito can
lay about 300 eggs during her life span of 14
to 21 days.
Do you know
1-2 days
Stagnant water
Pupae
4-5 days
Life cycle of the Aedes Mosquito
Larvae Eggs
2-3 days
How Do Aedes Mosquitoes Transmit Diseases...
Mosquito bites and sucks blood
containing the virus from an
infected person
Virus is carried in its
body
And passes the virus to
healthy people when it
bites them
Dengue is spread when the female Aedes aegypti mosquito
bites an infected person, it sucks up the blood with the virus
and passes this virus onto the next person she bites for more
blood

In this way the mosquito becomes a carrier of the dengue
virus. We call these carriers of disease and illness vectors
There is no vaccine to protect us from Dengue

We must, therefore, protect ourselves by avoiding the
infection. The only way of becoming infected is through the
bite of the mosquito that is carrying the virus
The Aedes aegypti mosquito that carries the dengue virus,
likes to lay eggs in water near or in our homes. It enjoys living
near to humans, its convenient blood supply

Anything that holds water can be a mosquito-breeding site.
Therefore, the best way of protecting your family and
community from dengue fever is to destroy all the places in
which the mosquito can lay eggs, breed more young
mosquitoes, increase their number, and so spread dengue to
more persons when they bite them for their blood. Here are
some actions you can take to rid your home and community
of mosquito breeding sites
Prevent Aedes from Breeding!
Remove ALL sources of stagnant
water

Deny the Aedes mosquito of any chance to
breed
Screen Outlets

Screen Down spouts from the roof

Seal points of entry of pipe into cistern

Place small fish in your cisterns for these eat the mosquito
larvae (wrigglers)
Ensure the cover fits tightly; this prevents adult mosquitoes
from entering and laying eggs

Repair broken manhole covers

Plug overflow holes located under the cover of Black plastic
tanks
Change the water-pots holding your plants or cut flowers at
least once a week

Drain flower pots flowerpots should have holes for
drainage

Plants should ideally be grown in a mixture of sand and
water or...

Use damp soil instead of water for growing plants

Keep the saucers of flower pots dry
Throw out the water in your draining pan under your
refrigerator at least once per week

Clean and scrub your dish drainers at least once per week

Toilet flush tanks should be inspected and cleaned at least
once per week and always kept tightly covered

Keep surroundings clean and get rid of containers which may
hold even the tiniest amount of water e.g. tins, old tires, old
pans, bottles, etc

Community members can work together to:

Keep the environment clean e.g. de-bush empty lots

Keep gullies and drains clean

Monitor and destroy any other mosquito breeding places

Punch holes in tins before disposal

Get rid of derelict vehicles

Ornamental pools and fountains should be regularly drained
and scrubbed, chlorinated, and/or stocked with fish

Swimming pools should be kept clean, filtered, and in good
condition

People can further protect themselves from mosquito bites by
using:

Mosquito coils
Electric vapor mats
Mosquito repellent sprayed on skin
Screen windows and doors
Sleep under mosquito proof bed nets
Close windows late evenings and early mornings
Wear protective clothing, such as long sleeve shirts, long
pants, and thick (bobby) socks during day time. It is also
advisable to avoid wearing dark colours


Every government has the responsibility for keeping public
places free of garbage and junk that can become
mosquito-breeding places

But, no Department of Health, no government, can come
into our homes and workplaces and stop mosquitoes from
biting us. Only we can do this. The government cannot stop
the mosquito from breeding in our flowerpots or debris left
strewn in our yards. Only we can do this

If we are serious and determined, we can ensure that
mosquitoes have no place to breed more mosquitoes to bite
us and give us dengue fever

So Search and Destroy mosquito breeding places at home
and work