Deadly female Aedes mosquitoes are on the move

The weather in Laos at this time of the year is a mix of rain and sunshine, and this is a good time for female Aedes mosquitoes to increase their population and spread the virus that causes the dreaded dengue fever.
The best way to reduce the population of these mosquitoes is for everyone to strictly implement the “Harpor” initiatives to prevent exposure to the deadly Aedes. The Ministry of Health has moved to strengthen dengue surveillance and a rapid response to outbreaks, a senior official of the ministry said at a meeting with representatives of media outlets in Vientiane recently.
Dengue fever is a concern and all people must join hands to eliminate the mosquitoes and prevent the spread of dengue fever, the official said. He urged all participants to take part in implementing the “Harpor” initiatives to tackle female Aedes mosquitoes.
“There is no vaccine as yet for dengue fever. Medicines such as paracetamol are used to reduce high fever when a person has dengue fever. If a lot of these medicines are taken, it is not good for the health, especially the liver,” the official said.
The best way to prevent the spread of dengue fever is to implement the “Harpor” initiatives. “Harpor” includes covering water tanks or big bowls within the house to ensure that there are no containers with water for mosquitoes to lay their eggs. Secondly, people need to regularly remove water that collects in all kinds of small containers, such as flower vases, so that mosquitoes cannot lay their eggs in the water. Thirdly, guppy fish should be released in fish ponds to reduce the larva population. The guppy fish eat larva mosquito larvae. Fourthly, people should eliminate all kinds of materials within and outside their homes where mosquitoes can lay eggs. If all these steps are followed regularly, there will be no larvae, no mosquitoes and no dengue fever.
Vientiane tops the list of places across the country with people infected with dengue fever. More than 8,000 dengue infections have been recorded across the country so far this year, and 12 people have died due to the virus. Till July 12, there were more than 4,000 cases among Vientiane residents and five of them have died.
The deadly female Aedes mosquitoes are on the move in nine districts of Vientiane and some provinces across Laos. No one wants to lose their near and dear ones because of the virus spread by the Aedes mosquitoes.
Preventing the spread of dengue fever is not difficult. I believe everyone can win against the mosquitoes by following the “Harpor” initiatives. These can be taken up by every family as a regular activity on the weekend. They don’t take up much time, especially if we want to do all we can to prevent the mosquito bites that cause dengue fever.
A large group of people in Vientiane have done well to eliminate the source of mosquitoes and families, villages, districts, and public and private organisations in many areas are taking part in efforts to eliminate the breeding grounds of mosquitoes.
We can see the concerned sectors leading the local people in implementing the “Harpor” initiatives by providing useful information regarding dengue fever, such as insisting that people should go to doctors instead of taking medicines by themselves. If someone feels ill, they shouldn’t take medicines by themselves. They should go to a doctor and seek treatment at a hospital.
People should also closely track the weather, which is closely linked to the spread of the Aedes mosquitoes. We have to keep pushing ourselves to win against the mosquitoes and to stay safe.
 

By Phon Thikeo
(Latest Update July 20, 2022)