Large mosquitos in Manila not dengue-carriers – health exec

AFP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines –  The large mosquitoes swarming some areas in Metro Manila do not carry the deadly dengue disease, a Department of Health (DOH) official said on Friday.

These “Culex” mosquitoes breed in dirty water stored in canals and other catch basin, Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy, program manager of the DOH’s Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Disease Program, said in an interview over Inquirer Radio 990AM.

“These are not the mosquitoes that carry dengue. It’s an ordinary mosquito commonly seen in households,” Lee Suy said in Filipino.

Lee Suy said one could get rid of the culex mosquitoes by cleaning any catch basin that could collect dirty water.

The DOH official reminded the public that it should not be complacent against mosquito-borne diseases.

He explained that the dengue-carrying mosquitoes usually breed in clean stagnant water collected in vases and other similar containers. Meanwhile, malaria-carrying mosquitoes breed in streams and other bodies of water.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), dengue is a flu-like disease caused by mosquito bites. Symptoms include high fever (40 degrees celsius), severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pains, nausea, vomiting, swollen glands and rash.

This could worsen to plasma leaking, fluid accumulation, respiratory distress, severe bleeding, or organ impairment, which could prove deadly and require medical assistance.

The WHO listed the following as preventive measures against dengue:

• preventing mosquitoes from accessing egg-laying habitats by environmental management and modification;
• disposing of solid waste properly and removing artificial man-made habitats;
• covering, emptying and cleaning of domestic water storage containers on a weekly basis;
• applying appropriate insecticides to water storage outdoor containers;
• using of personal household protection such as window screens, long-sleeved clothes, insecticide treated materials, coils and vaporizers;
• improving community participation and mobilsation for sustained vector control;
• applying insecticides as space spraying during outbreaks as one of the emergency vector control measures
• active monitoring and surveillance of vectors should be carried out to determine effectiveness of control interventions

Lee Suy warned the public against common diseases during summer such as sore eyes, skin diseases, skin rashes,heat stroke, colds and diarrhea.

RELATED STORIES

DOH: Fewer dengue cases reported in Metro Manila

Dengue surge reported in Central Mindanao

Taguig dengue cases in 2013 dropped by half