Don't Forget Dengue Disease Because You Are Busy Preventing COVID-19

Minister of Health Agus Terawan Putranto (Diah Ayu Wardani / VOI)

JAKARTA - The whole world is wary of the spread of the corona virus, an infectious disease that has become a pandemic or epidemic that has spread everywhere simultaneously. However, beyond that, there are still other diseases that need to be watched out for.

Moreover, now it is the rainy season. Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto said that one disease that lurks during the rainy season is dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF).

"(DBD) should not be forgotten just because (there are) other diseases. This should not be ignored, because this also concerns our children. It can be affected by children, toddlers, young people, to adults," said Terawan when met at Istiqlal Mosque, Central Jakarta,

Until now, most dengue fever sufferers are in the Province of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) with a total of 37 people. This figure is based on data from the NTT Health Office on Wednesday, March 11. Meanwhile, the number of DHF patients who are still being treated is at least 3,109 people.

Then, the most fatalities due to dengue fever were in West Java, reaching 15 cases. Furthermore, Lampung Province with a total of 10 people died. The Ministry of Health noted that from January to March 11, 2020, DHF patients had reached 17,820 throughout Indonesia.

Furthermore, the government determined the transmission of dengue fever in Sikka Regency, NTT to be an Extraordinary Event (KLB) which must be handled more seriously than in other areas.

"In Sikka the most deaths, namely up to 13 people. We have all delivered personnel to Sika. We brought 30 doctors and nurses from the TNI and also the Ministry of Health, the Indonesian National Armed Forces, to jointly make preventive and promotive efforts," explained Terawan.

Terawan hopes that all parties will help in eradicating mosquito nests. Then, larvae managed by the local health office can take a more careful look at the potential for larvae in residential areas.

"Because this is very deadly. Imagine, there have been more than 100 people who have died all over Indonesia because of dengue fever. Automatically we have to fight together so that the dengue outbreak can also be over, then concentrate again on the Corona pandemic. So in my opinion we should not run out. on the one hand the energy, "he said.

For information, DHF is an acute febrile disease caused by the dengue virus which infects parts of the human body and circulatory system, and is transmitted through the bite of an infected female Aedes Aegepti or Albopictus mosquito.

Symptoms of DHF usually begin with fever, muscle and joint pain, red spots / rash on the skin accompanied by nausea and heartburn and in severe cases, life-threatening bleeding and shock can occur.

The rainy season, which is accompanied by heat, is very popular with the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes that carry the dengue virus. At that time, the mosquitoes hatched to become more adults in the summer and rainy season.

If it rains heavily, the eggs can be washed away wasted. But if it's summer, mosquito eggs can also die. What is prone is precisely when the rain is accompanied by heat, where there is an opportunity for the mosquitoes to hatch their eggs and reproduce quickly.

Another factor that makes people more susceptible to being bitten by mosquitoes in this rainy season is the reduced mobility of a person. People will stay in a place more often. At the same time, it will be easier for mosquitoes to bite.

To prevent dengue outbreaks, residents can drain water reservoirs and maintain plants that are effective at repelling mosquitoes. As well as making lavitrap or traps to prevent mosquitoes from reproducing.