Five Ways to Protect Yourself From Dengue

Dengue has been an ongoing topic among many in Singapore because of the high number of dengue cases and increasing dengue clusters around. While there are mosquito control measures in place by either management corporations or regulatory authorities, we can also protect ourselves further by following the five ways shared by Rentokil.

Keep your body and your home space cool

Body warmth and heat attracts mosquitoes who are especially active in the daytime particularly the Aedes Mosquitoes species. For homes that do not go with air-conditioning or are located in the warmer parts of the island, it is more critical to keep the home cool with a fan or any cooling system. In outdoors, when engaging in activities, exercises and sports, we tend to exude perspiration and body heat, and thus are the main attraction to mosquitoes. They are sensitive and can locate your presence and track you with their receptors. Tips: use a mini portable fan when you are feeling hot to bring down your temperature be it at home or outdoors.

Apply repelling remedies on yourself and home

We can also leverage on repelling remedies to deter mosquitoes from coming near us or to our homes. For instance, citronella and lemongrass is widely known to keep mosquitoes away. It can be used in the form of essential oils, diffusers, candles or any form of scent. You may also stick on mosquito repellent patches on your body, by the bed and anywhere near you that might be at risk of attracting mosquitoes. Alternatively, you may spray a substantial amount of mosquito insect repellent on your exposed skin to prevent potential mosquito bites.

Some use plants to deter mosquitoes including lavender, basil, rosemary and catnip that shows some repelling elements and even spices or herbs such as garlic and cinnamon, where the smell gets strong and pungent for mosquitoes' liking. Do note these repelling remedies are short term and not fool-proof against pest prevention. Seeking a professional pest control company is still a top priority in fighting against dengue.

Use mosquito netting and window screens

There is another way to keep mosquitoes away by blocking their entries to where we live or sleep in. Firstly, you can keep doors and windows closed while turning the air cooler on to keep the place cool. Secondly, you may close any holes, openings, cracks and crevices that allow mosquitoes to fly through those structure defects. Thirdly, fix an insect or mosquito screen on your windows and door panels to prevent deny mosquitoes accesses. Finally, you can also fix a mosquito netting around your bed to prevent them from attacking us especially when we are asleep or pay less attention to mosquitoes biting us since their saliva contains analgesic ingredients that prevent us from feeling anything till later.

Protect your exposed skin from mosquito bites

We can guard ourselves further by not allowing mosquitoes to have any opportunity to land anywhere near us and the chance to feed on us through those exposed skin. We can do so by protecting ourselves with long sleeves and pants especially when we engage in outdoor activities (you may purchase dri-fit and sweat absorbent material recommended for sports). At night, we can cover ourselves with a blanket or a quilt, or wear sleepwear that can cover our arms and legs. Some people are more prone to attracting mosquitoes than the other; find out if you are a magnet to these nasty mosquitoes that can transmit disease.

Avoid dark colours on clothes and interior

Dark colours attract mosquitoes, as they tend to spot dark-coloured items more easily than light shades. This means they can detect your presence better. In addition, dark colours especially black tend to generate heat more, be it a car tone, bedsheets, furniture, wall and your clothing. The heat accelerates when we get active and generates more heat in return as we perspire, which are the main source of mosquito attraction and draw them nearer to us. Use light shades such as white, light grey and khaki, and besides preventing mosquitoes, it can keep the place bright and refreshing.

Three different types of mosquito control

Adult mosquito water-based fogging

It takes only seven to fourteen days for mosquitoes to turn into an adult. The life cycle shortens during warmer climates that means an increase in population. This is essential to have regular mosquito fogging to eliminate mosquitoes that are flying around the vicinity. They are water-based and environmentally friendly, that elevates the safety level among us. They are usually done weekly or fortnightly, unless of an epidemic. With a surge in dengue cases, frequency may need to be tweaked to control adult mosquitoes. Pest control specialists will perform a site assessment and evaluation to recommend an ideal frequency and number of treatments necessary for your premise.

Mosquito breeding larviciding treatment

Mosquito breeding where larvae is found in stagnant water among receptacles are the main cause of dengue as they start to develop into adult mosquitoes. One way of mosquito prevention is to engage in larviciding treatment by applying active ingredients within any standing water to eliminate larvae. However, you can also take the additional and precautionary step in eliminating these breeding sources. Examples include removing all stagnant water, clearing away receptacles and keeping the place free from water and moisture.

Indoor and outdoor mosquito trap

For additional protection against mosquito infestation, Rentokil Initial also offers both indoor and outdoor mosquito traps to get rid of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes can roam freely where they are attracted to humans and when there is a presence of carbon dioxide. Places with greenery and high vegetation conditions tend to attract mosquitoes around the corner. As mosquitoes can enter into homes, and are active in the daytime, placement of indoor mosquito traps can help eliminate flying adult mosquitoes.

The In2care Outdoor Mosquito Trap is an innovative and eco-green mosquito control that can eliminate both adult mosquitoes and larvae, attacking at their entire life cycle stages. As Aedes Mosquitoes increase their resistance to chemical insecticides, the outdoor trap utilises “dissemination” effect to spread the active ingredient to places they land and breed. It contaminates the female mosquitoes as they spread around and eliminate them before them before they turn into an adult biting human for blood.

Five essential information to know about dengue

Where are the dengue clusters in Singapore?

Dengue clusters are labeled under three tiers of severity including the red, yellow and green, and red indicates high-risk areas with more than ten cases in the vicinity. You may constantly review the location and dengue cases on the National Environment Agency Dengue Cluster List. It reports daily and weekly updates on the number of dengue cases and highlights specific clusters in your residential area where active cases are taking place. Dengue clusters associates to environment with conditions including the following:

• Heavy populated and high-density residential location
• High vegetation and vast green spaces such as garden
• Places with poor housekeeping and sanitation standards
• Environment with presence of active mosquito breeding
• Ongoing development projects such as construction works

Symptoms of dengue fever we need to know

Some of the symptoms to look out for includes sudden onset of fever with severe headache and joint and muscle pain. Besides fever, individuals should also keep a lookout for symptoms relating to skin rash, nausea and vomiting, bruising and nose or gum bleeding. However, it might look similar to Zika, where individuals also experience fever, headache, rash and muscle pain. However, there is another symptom to take note for Zika, which is conjunctivitis. It is important to seek medical attention even with mild symptoms because; there are also new dominant dengue strains that are happening in Singapore that are the Denv-3. Most individuals do not have immunity against this virus. Additionally, this dengue-virus serotype 3 is observed to be present in large dengue clusters within Singapore.

It is also important to know what you should do if you have contracted fever. Stay well hydrated with fluid and take plenty of rest. As there is no treatment and medication for dengue, self-recovery is necessary and medical advice should not be neglected. Dengue vaccines are only applicable for individuals on review basis, where protection is working better for people who have contracted with dengue previously and studies show better efficacy among children. In summary, severe dengue cases can cause dengue haemorrhagic fever. In serious cases, it can be fatal where bleeding and shock may be resulted.

How is dengue transmitted from mosquitoes to humans?

Dengue transmits though infected Aedes Mosquitoes as they bite us to seek for blood meals. It revolves around the cycle of being infected when they attack an infected who carries the virus. Thus, spreading this infection back to other individuals. Unlike viral infection that is air-borne or able to transmit from person to person, the dengue virus incubation among mosquitos falls within eight to ten day. Once they infect individuals, it then circulates and incubates for two to seven days. Hence, it is then important to ensure larvae do not develop into an adult. More importantly, to protect yourselves from mosquito bites. For epidemic vector diseases like dengue, pest control support for pest eradication is necessary. This helps reduce these harmful health and safety risks, especially among elderly and young children.

Why are dengue cases increasing in Singapore?

With over 30,000 cases reported the end of 2020, weekly cases look high and presence of active large dengue clusters. Some reasons of the continuous concern over dengue cases volume includes:

• Weather climates including hot and rainy weather that promotes stagnant water and faster completion of the mosquito life cycle
• Inadequate efforts in eliminating breeding sources such as potted plants and pails
• Lack of regular checking of mosquito breeding or presence of larvae by homeowners
• Increased immunity and chemical resistance among mosquitoes
• Environment conditions such as construction works and renovation
• Lapses in housekeeping, sanitation and landscaping maintenance
• Low awareness and education on dengue and mosquitoes among community
• Inconsistent mosquito treatments that allows population to increase
• Low engagement in pest control solutions in eliminating mosquitoes
• Adopting DIY mosquito’s removal remedies that do not work effectively

Effective pest management requires community effort and integrating both mosquito prevention and treatments to reflect optimal results. Ongoing housekeeping diligence, proactive breeding inspection and consistency in treatments is necessary to keep everyone safe from dengue disease.

Where do we check for mosquito breeding?

We can pay more attention in checking for mosquito breeding. It should be done at least once to twice a week given the life cycle of a mosquito developing into an adult takes seven to ten days, and can be shortened with climate changes. Firstly, check your potted plants dish plates for any stagnant and collected water. Additionally, overly-dried plants that leaves soil hardened at the bottom can collect water with the gaps in between too.

Secondly, a clothes hanger and holder outside your balcony can collect water as well. Seal off those holes to avoid rain collecting within. Thirdly, gulley, gutters and drains are one of the easiest sources of water collection. Therefore, constant checking of larvae is essential. Fourthly, any puddles and tiny drops of water can promote mosquito breeding. Hence, be sure to wipe them dry and remove all water sources. Finally, check for any receptacles that can collect standing water, including containers, pails, pots and items with opening.

Call Rentokil Singapore at  (65) 6347 8138 for pest control services today.