Serious threat from dengue fever
That the incidence of dengue, a mosquito-borne viral infection, is rising rapidly in Dhaka city is a highly worrying piece of information. Reports on this appeared in several daily newspapers yesterday. According to the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), 727 dengue cases were detected in the metropolis and elsewhere last month. During the span of one and a half months, the disease killed four persons in the capital.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) outbreak of dengue may occur any time if mosquitoes are active. High temperature and humidity are congenial for breeding the mosquitoes that cause the disease. In Bangladesh, the disease mostly breaks out during monsoon. Waters lying stagnant on the premises of houses are the breeding grounds for the mosquitoes. Keeping households and surroundings clean and disposal of empty bottles, containers and waste are some of the best preventive measures against dengue. But there are people who out of sheer lethargy do not keep their houses and the premises clean, thus helping outbreak of dengue.
Due to ignorance and lack of awareness, many dengue afflicted patients undergo wrong treatment that may imperil their lives. General physicians cannot handle the dengue cases unless they are specially trained to deal with the cases. But there are some doctors, who out of greed for money, keep patients under their treatment, thus endangering the latters lives. Since most of the people do not know where they will go for the treatment of the disease, they have hardly any choice and they are bullied by unscrupulous doctors. Besides, some patients suffering from dengue wrongly take aspirin tablets for temperature reduction that do them more harm than good. The infected persons should also be cautious in taking antibiotics.
The government should take the dengue fever breakout in all seriousness. There should be dengue specialists in every public hospital of the country to treat the growing number of dengue patients. Besides, creation of mass awareness about the disease is a must.
Governments media, particularly BTV and radio and television channels, can undertake the publicity campaign relating to the disease and its remedy. Print media can also play a vital role in this regard. There is no alternative to addressing the scourge of dengue in the shortest possible time in the interest of public health.
