Preventing dengue during flood season, what can we do? As you can see these days, rain falls in the morning, day, and night. It has become a norm in Malaysia, where we have flood season almost at the end of the year. Sometimes, flood season will continue for months until the new year arrives.
In this rainy weather, we must take precautions against the breeding of Aedes mosquitos. Do you know that these mosquitos only need a little water to lay their eggs? Besides that, their eggs can last for eight months in a dry state.
These mosquitos only bring disadvantages to us humans. Therefore, we have to take action to prevent them from breeding. Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) on Twitter shares with us the prevention steps to control the breeding of Aedes during flood season.
Before the flood:
1) Get a stock of repellent and aerosol at home
2) Make sure the rain gutter on the house roof is clear from debris (plastics, dry leaves, etc)
3) Put some larvicides to kill the mosquito larvae in the wet places that are hard to clear
4) Clear bottles, basins, or anything that could trap water
During the flood:
1) Spray some aerosol at hidden areas
2) Apply lotion and repellent to prevent mosquito bites
3) Wear a long-sleeved shirt and bright-colored pants
After the flood:
1) Spray some aerosol at every area of your house
2) Do some cleaning
3) Plan a communal work with family and neighbors to clean the flooding area
By following these ten steps, the breeding of Aedes mosquitos can be prevented. Viruses like dengue, zika, and chikungunya will stay at bay.
Source: Twitter MOH