I used to think dengue happens to people who live in a slum. People far, far away from me, people I don’t know. Despite seeing those warning TV advertisements, I thought, well, it is just a fever right? No big deal! I will survive. Besides, I can’t be so unlucky right?
I was wrong. And naive. People die from dengue. It is not just a fever, and it happened to my brother, twice! No, he didn’t die, but it was serious and no, he doesn’t live in a slum.
Dengue happens in our clean and modern Singapore. There were more than 18,300 and 22,000 dengue cases reported last year and in 2013 respectively. Although the number of cases so far in January and March this year is lower compared to the same period last year, it is still a threat and a majority of mosquito breeding habitats are found in homes.
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| Yes, your house and mine could be breeding ground to these nasty creatures. |
Needless to say, it scared the living hell out of me. I don’t want Lauren or Georgia to contract dengue; I don’t want them to get bitten by mosquitoes, Aedes or not. All it takes is one bite. This is why I’ve resolved to not take chances and check regularly for stagnant water in and around the house.
Government Effort
I was at the launch of ‘Do The Mozzie WipeOut’ Campaign 2015 last weekend. It is an effort by NEA, Singapore’s National Environment Agency, to create awareness and alert the public on dengue prevention. You may have seen campaign ads on TV and newspapers by now.
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Left: Student volunteers helped handing out the Dengue Fighter Kit.
Right: The Dengue Fighter Kit contains mosquito repellent, sand granular insecticide that kills mosquito larvae and prevents breeding in places where water cannot be removed, travel pillow that reminds us to do an inspection before leaving for holiday, and warning stickers to be stuck on potential breeding spots like water containers and/or flower pot plates.
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NEA is continually improving its dengue control programme. Last year, NEA announced that they were exploring the possibility of using Wolbachia-carrying male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes -which do not bite or transmit disease – to help suppress the Aedes mosquito population in Singapore. The eggs produced from the matings between Wolbachia-carrying male mosquitoes and female mosquitoes in the wild do not hatch. An independent and comprehensive impact assessment will be conducted to ensure the safety of using the Wolbachiatechnology in Singapore.
NEA has also deployed more than 4,000 Gravitraps – you may have seen them near your home. The equipment catches female adult mosquitoes looking to lay eggs and stops the escape of any mosquitoes that may have developed from eggs laid in the trap. These Gravitraps provide surveillance on the mosquito population in areas where they are deployed and assist in the timely deployment of dengue control measures. NEA intends to expand the programme and roll out more Gravitraps later this year. Check out this handy infographic about Gravitraps here: http://goo.gl/44nMN8.
How can we do our part?
Simple. Just do the 5 Step Mozzie Wipeout.
1. Turn over water storage containers
2. Remove water from flower pot plates on alternate days
3. Change water in vases/bowls on alternate days
4. Cover bamboo pole holders when not in use
5. Clear blockages and put Bti insecticide in roof gutters monthly
Go on. Do it now. No.. not in a minute. NOW! The internet can wait.
And by the way, do it on alternate days. Right after you brush your teeth, before breakfast. Or the other way round. Doesn’t matter. Just make it part of your routine. Mosquito eggs can hatch into larvae in less than a day!
Denying Aedes mosquitoes a place to breed by removing stagnant water is still the most effective method to prevent dengue transmissions; hence the community is encouraged to do the Mozzie Wipeout. In this case, it is ok to be a ‘kay poh’ and look out for your neighbours too. NEA officers alone cannot eliminate all mosquito breeding habitats. Remember when I mentioned that a majority of mosquito breeding habitats are found in homes? Don’t make me show you the gross photo of mosquitoes again.
Keep your family safe. For updates on dengue prevention and dengue situation in Singapore, join Stop Dengue Now Facebook page.
PS: Eco friendly cleaning tips for around the house.
