Re: Brunei: 2010 dengue cases
Source:
http://www.brudirect.com/index.php/2010042820350/First-Stories/alarming-rise-in-dengue-cases.html
Alarming Rise In Dengue Cases
Written by James Kon Thursday, 29 April 2010 06:19
From just 37 in 2009 to 77 in last four months
Bandar Seri Begawan - Brunei Darussalam has recorded a steep rise in the number of dengue cases this year, which has led to calls for awareness and measures to eradicate Aedes mosquitoes, the reason behind the spread of the disease.
To put the figures in perspective, the whole of last year Brunei only saw 37 cases of dengue. But in the first four months of this year 77 cases have been reported.
The highest number of dengue cases has been recorded in the Brunei-Muara District at 67, while Belait District has seen five cases followed by four cases in Tutong District and one in the Temburong District.
Currently, no patients with dengue have been listed in critical condition, thanks to swift actions by family members who have rushed the victims to hospital or clinics. Last year, however, there was a case where a person who already had health complications passed away as the dengue virus weakened his immune system.
Awang Kamaludin bin Mohamad Yassin, a Senior Public Health Officer, yesterday provided the latest dengue numbers prior to a briefmg on dengue fever and cleanliness of environment for village heads and Mukim Penghulus in the Brunei-Muara District to raise awareness of the infectious disease that sometimes could prove fatal.
"Although the total number of cases is still considered small compared to other countries, we want to take extra precautionary measures through the cooperation of village heads and Mukim Penghulus in the fight against dengue.
"Brunei is not the only country that has experienced a sharp rise in dengue cases, the whole world is currently facing the same situation.
"The rising trend maybe due to globalisation as well as people's disregard for cleanliness of the environment," he said.
The current hotspot for dengue cases, he said, is the Water Village. "One of the reasons contributing to the rise in cases in the Water Village is the unusual rainfall over the past three months. The rainwater is being retained by the rubbish that are floating around the Water Village. There also some cases where households are storing water and fail to cover them with a lid to prevent the mosquitoes from breeding," he added.
"In previous years, the cases were mostly recorded during the end of the year. However, this year cases have been detected rather early, which shows a different trend. There are currently no vaccines for dengue.
"In addition to the awareness programme, other measures in, terms of controlling the spread of dengue are by fogging and spraying chemicals to eradicate the Aedes mosquitoes. However, chemical spraying is only a temporarily solution as places for the Aedes mosquitoes to breed are still plenty, which is the main reason for the spread of the disease," he said.
To raise awareness and to seek cooperation from the public to help wipe out potential mosquitoe breeding places, Awang Kamaludin said, "We have already given a talk on RTB and today we want to involve the village heads and Mukim Penghulus to spread the word to all the houses in the villages and to cooperate in maintaining a clean environment.
"A clean environment is not enough, members of the public will also have to make sure that water doesn't stagnate, either in vases or outside their homes including landscaping areas."
When asked about the most common misconception people have about the dengue fever, he said, "The most common misconception is that spraying is enough but it's not. And people have to realize that cleanliness of the environment is the responsibility of all."-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
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Source:
http://www.brudirect.com/index.php/...alled-to-combat-spread-of-dengue-disease.html
Village Leaders Called To Combat Spread Of Dengue Disease
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Written by James Kon Thursday, 29 April 2010 07:31
Bandar Seri Begawan - In light of the sudden surge of dengue cases not only in the Sultanate but also in our neighbouring countries, the village heads and penghulu mukims in the Brunei-Muara District were called to make personal visits to houses to spread the message on the importance of cleanliness of the surrounding environment to combat the spread of dengue disease.
In his talk on dengue fever and the cleanliness of the environment, Dato Paduka Awang Hj Mohd Yussof bin Bakar highlighted the important roles the village heads and penghulu mukims play in spreading the message to the public.
The Brunei-Muara District Officer said, "Village heads and penghulu mukims in the district play a vital role as leaders of the community to build strong ties with the villagers. Village heads and penghulu mukims should advise each household the importance of maintaining the cleanliness of the surrounding environment and nearby areas.
"Maintaining the cleanliness of the surrounding area is by getting rid of piles of rubbish and stagnant water, breeding grounds for the Aedes mosquitoes."
Explaining the dengue disease, Dr Ahmad Fakhri DP Hj Junaidi, the Medical Officer of the Disease Control Section of the Ministry of Health in his welcoming remarks said, "Dengue fever is an infectious disease caused by the dengue virus. The disease is contracted through the bite of the Aedes mosquitoes that are infected with the Aedes virus. The Aedes mosquitoes love to breed in places such as stagnant water outside or inside buildings."
Therefore, he said, "The effort to eradicate the mosquitoes have to be taken. The control method of spraying chemicals is only a temporary measure and is based on a number of factors like weather and the situation of the environment. The best and most effective method is to keep the environment clean."
He added, "I hope that today's talk will he create awareness on the dangers of dengue fever. The importance of united efforts and cooperation between members of the public and various agencies in the control of mosquitoe breeding and dengue fever especially in the area of cleanliness of the environment is crucial.
"It is hoped that the village heads and penghulu mukims would help cooperate and support the government to control the dengue disease from spreading," he said.
Awang Kamaludin bin Mohamad Yassin, the Senior Public Health Officer also delivered a talk on dengue fever and the cleanliness of the environment. The event came to a close with the handing over of posters on dengue fever and Aedes mosquitoes to the village heads and penghulu mukims. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
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Another article:
http://news.brunei.fm/2010/04/29/dengue-hits-77-in-brunei-in-less-than-4-months/
