More Than 160 People Mon State Contract Dengue Fever, Two Children Dead
By NETWORK MEDIA GROUP (NMG)
Monday, June 15, 2020
Representatives from Mon State’s public health department have said that 164 people have come down with dengue hemorrhagic fever in the state and that two children have died from the illness as of the first week of June.
The children lived in Paung Township were aged 10 months and eight years, respectively.
Dengue has been most prevalent in Mawlamyine and Paung townships.
Dr. Tun Aung Kyi, the head of Mon State’s public health department, said that public participation is essential for prevention of the illness, which appears during the rains of June and July and is transmitted through the bit of infected mosquitos.
“Medical workers’ efforts alone are not enough to prevent it,” Dr. Tun Aung Kyi said. “People must understand it and ‘cover, throw away, change, and filter’ the water,” he said, referring to steps advised to stop stagnant water from becoming a breeding ground for mosquitos.
Locals are encouraged to cover water pots and ponds, and dump out unused water. They are also told to filter water before consuming it.
Mon State’s public health department drew up a dengue fever prevention plan early this year. Health workers have launched the ‘Cover, Throw Away, Change, Filter’ awareness campaign in Mon State. To kill mosquito larva, health workers have also put disinfectant in water wells and water storage ponds in townships in Mon State.
According to a report from the state’s health department, the dengue fever infection rates this year appear to be lower than previous years in Mon State, dating back to 2017.
“People need to be on alert,” a doctor, who has a clinic in Mawlamyine, told NMG, referring to the current rainy season and the heightened risk for dengue.
Dengue fever can affect both adults and children, but is particularly dangerous to young children and the elderly.
