HEALTH ADVISORY
The Philippine Embassy in Phnom Penh advises the Filipino Community in Cambodia to take the necessary precautions against dengue fever.
According to Cambodian health officials, there have been 13,000 cases of dengue fever in the first six months of the year, killing 24 children who were brought to the hospital too late. This number could rise to 50,000 by the end of the year, equivalent to a five-fold increase.
The rise in dengue fever this year is brought about by a five- or six-year climactic cycle wherein a 1 mm rise in rainfall results in an 11 percent increase in the spread of the dengue virus.
Cambodian health officials warned against using over-the-counter medicine without consulting a physician, as some medicines, such as Aspirin and Ibuprufen can lead to excessive bleeding.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), individuals should suspect dengue when a high fever (40°C) is accompanied by two of the following symptoms:
- Severe headache
- Pain behind the eyes
- Nausea, Vomiting
- Swollen glands
- Muscle and joint pains
- Rash
Filipinos in Cambodia are advised to take the following individual and household protection measures recommended by WHO:
- Wear clothing that minimizes skin exposure during daylight hours when mosquitoes are most active;
- Repellents may be applied to exposed skin or to clothing. The use of repellents must be in strict accordance with label instructions.
- Use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets for those who sleep during the day (e.g. infants, the bedridden and night-shift workers).
- Where indoor biting occurs, household insecticide aerosol products, mosquito coils or other insecticide vaporizers may also reduce biting activity.
- Household fixtures such as window and door screens and air-conditioning can also reduce biting.
- All pesticides are toxic to some degree. Safety precautions for their use should be followed.
