Dengue fever has received escalating attention over the last few years in Singapore. In the recent months, the mosquito borne disease seems to back with a fierce vengeance. Raising fears and worries, according to reports, one person has died this year and numbers have crossed into warning levels beyond which a serious epidemic could occur.
The humid climate in Singapore can undoubtedly attract and cause the multiplication of these dreadful aedes mosquitoes. The female mosquito is attracted by body odours, carbon dioxide and heat emitted from animals and humans.
The aedes can breed in days. Under optimal conditions like warm and wet climate, with enough stagnant water, the egg of an Aedes mosquito can hatch into a larva in less than a day. The larva then takes about four days to develop into a pupa, and an adult mosquito will emerge from the pupa after two days. Three days after the mosquito has bitten a person and taken in blood, it will lay eggs. The cycle begins again.
The Singapore Government has taken steps and action plans in the last few years to help prevent and control the dengue condition to worsen. areas with high aedes population are checked routinely by the National Environment Agency officers, Public awareness campaigns are carried out, fines are imposed if mosquito larvae is found in households and this year 2007, an educational package including discount vouchers for anti mosquito products are to be issued to 1.2 million households.
It is important to be aware and take necessary and practical steps as recommended by the government to dengue-proof our homes and surroundings. You never know when it strikes!! Once the mosquit transmit the virus to the person, the dengue virus can incubate in a person for between 3-14 days within which most people feel well and shows no symptoms. Only after the incubation period, the person will become sickly. she will have a high fever and suffer body aches, nausea and diarrhoea. During this fever period, she can pass the virus to a second aedes mosquito when it bites her. The vicious cycle is then repeated.
Prevention is better than cure. Gear up Singaporeans! If they breed, you will bleed!