Bhutan: 2009 dengue cases

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Source: http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13622

First dengue death in P/ling

FOURFOLD INCREASE - 154 cases of dengue as of October 4 compared to 35 last year

6 October, 2009 - Dengue fever has claimed his first victim of the year, a 47-year-old soldier in Phuentsholing, who died on October 4.

The soldier was diagnosed with the fever on September 30, according to Phuentsholing doctors. After several blood tests and fever checks, he was told to stay in the hospital ward, from October 3, for further examination, but the doctors said the soldier, after putting up for a night, had left for home the next morning.

?Along with his wife, he had left for home at 3:00 a.m. to perform puja and they even tried traditional practices like sucking out (supposed) poison from his body,? said hospital sister, Kamal. ?Later in the afternoon they came back, but he was already in his last stage.?

Doctors say that a dengue fever patient has to be monitored very closely and attempts made to control the fever within 25 hours. ?If the fever isn?t controlled within 25 hours, it can be very risky,? said the malaria supervisor in Phuentsholing hospital, Dr Wangchuk.

There were 32 dengue cases in August in Phuentsholing. By October 4, that number had shot up to 154 cases, with one death, recording an increase of 122 cases in just over a month. There were 35 dengue cases last year.

Meanwhile, a Phuentsholing dengue fever patient has been referred to Thimphu referral hospital, after doctors there failed to control his bleeding, a case of an advanced dengue fever stage.

By Samten Yeshi P/ling

 

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Re: Bhutan: 2009 dengue cases

Source: http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13649

Larva bred in long stored water

Random sample survey links rise of dengue incidence to water shortage situation

Dengue Update 8 October, 2009 - A perennial water shortage situation in the southern border town of Phuentsholing is helping to breed dengue spreading mosquitoes indoors in stored water containers, say entomologists of the vector borne disease control programme.

?Many residents had stored water for more weeks,? said a senior entomologist from Gelephu regional hospital, Rinzin Namgay. ?This created a conducive environment for the mosquito to breed in their bathroom.?

Rinzin Namgay led a three-member team that did a random sample survey of Phuentsholing town, which has recorded an alarming increase in the number of dengue cases this year. As of October 4, Phuentsholing had 154 cases of dengue with one death.

The team collected larva of mosquitoes from the water stored in bathrooms of homes and apartments, as well as adult mosquitoes that had grown up indoors as evidence of how indoor breeding was contributing to the rise in dengue fever cases.

A woman, who lives near the Phuentsholing truck parking, said that they receive water on scheduled time. ?But it?s usually for 10 minutes only. So, we have to store water and cut down on washing and cooking,? she said. She also said that they change the stored water when the tap is flowing.

The team also found that the water stored in big containers and used mainly for flushing were usually not changed very often. These containers had the larva of the mosquitoes as well as full-grown mosquitoes. The eggs of the mosquitoes become larva within 3 to 4 days while it becomes adult in another 3 to 4 days.

?These dengue spreading mosquitoes bite during the day, and a single mosquito can spread dengue to everyone living in a flat,? said the senior entomologist.

The survey team, with other hospital staff from Phuentsholing, did thermal fogging and water spraying around the town and in areas where mosquitoes were likely to breed.

?Thermal fogging can only kill adult mosquitoes but, if larva remain, then the job is not done,? said Rinzin Namgay. ?So, people need to participate and cooperate by keeping surroundings clean and should change stored water to stop indoor breeding.?

Phuentsholing city officials said the town did not have an adequate source to meet the shortage. ?We have only Toorsa river as a reliable resource and we need a major project to drain the river to solve the water scarcity issue here,? said an official.

He said the municipal authorities were working on exploring underground water sources as a short term solution. ?60 percent of the water supply in Phuentsholing is from underground and we?re still working on more underground sources,? he said.

Phuentsholing has around 1,500 water-metered connections. While some connections might be providing for only one family many provide for 3 to 5 families,? said the official.

By Samten Yeshi