El Nino and Dengue: How the Climate Phenomenon Increases Mosquito Ferocity

KOMPAS.com – The Ministry of Health warned that the impact of El Nino would make dengue mosquitoes or dengue hemorrhagic fever more vicious.

According to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), Indonesia will enter the beginning of El Nino as of June 4 2023. The peak of El Nino in Indonesia is expected to occur from July to September 2023.

To note, El Nino is a phenomenon of warming sea surface temperatures above normal that occurs in the central Pacific Ocean. This phenomenon reduces rainfall and triggers drought in Indonesia.

Also read: Dengue Spreads Impact of Climate Change, How come?

The impact of El Nino causes dengue mosquitoes to become more ferocious

Director of Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases of the Ministry of Health dr. Imran Pambudi, MPHM said that research shows that female DHF or Aedes aegypti mosquitoes will be more ferocious in hot weather.

“If you look at the number of cases from 1968, the pattern of occurrence of DHF cases was high during El Nino,” explained Imran, quoted from SehatNegeriku (12/6/2023).

Imran further said, the level of ferocity of DHF mosquitoes in hot weather temperatures can increase between 3 to 4 times, especially at temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius.

For this reason, his party appealed to the public not to be complacent about DHF even though the intensity of rain and the potential for inundation has decreased.

Also read: 8 Impact of Climate Change on Health

The characteristics of DHF that need to be watched out for

Pediatrician at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta, dr. Mulya Rahma Karyanti, Sp.A(K) said that DHF is caused by the dengue virus which is transmitted through the bite of a female Aedes aegypti mosquito.

Here are some symptoms or characteristics of DHF that sufferers need to watch out for:

• Sudden fever with high body temperature for 2 to 7 days
• Red face
• Headache
• Nausea, sometimes accompanied by vomiting
• Stomach ache
• Bones, joints, and muscles or the whole body aches
• Diarrhea
• Get rid of red spots on the skin
• Bleeding such as nosebleeds, vomiting blood, or bloody bowel movements
• Cold and clammy hands and feet
• Sleep straight or drown

According to Karyanti, after being bitten by a DHF mosquito, the patient will show symptoms of DHF 5 to 10 days later.

“The average incubation period is 7 days from the mosquito bite until symptoms appear,” said Karyanti.

Also read: 4 Characteristics of Early Stage DHF, Don’t Treat It Too Late

How to prevent dengue

Considering that the peak of El Nino in Indonesia is in sight, it’s a good idea to know how to prevent DHF in order to minimize the bites of female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Here are some of them:

• Increase self-protection from mosquito bites; such as wearing closed clothes, keeping the room cool, or using mosquito nets when the DHF mosquitoes are active. Usually DHF mosquitoes bite at 08.00 to 10.00 in the morning and between 15.00 to 17.00
• Eradicate mosquito nests with 3M, namely draining and scrubbing water reservoirs, closing water reservoirs, and utilizing or recycling used goods
• Strive to plant natural mosquito repellent plants to tackle the breeding of DHF mosquitoes. You can plant lemongrass, lavender, marigold, garlic, basil, to rosemary
• Avoid eradicating mosquitoes by fogging. This is because the fogging effect is only momentary and the impact can contaminate the environment and humans, as well as make mosquitoes resistant or immune to anti-insect drugs.
• Immunize with dengue vaccine. Currently, vaccines are available to prevent dengue, namely Dengvaxia and Qdenga

After learning about the impact of El Nino causing dengue mosquitoes to become more ferocious, take the above preventive steps so that you and those closest to you are protected from this disease.

Also read: 3 Characteristics of DHF from Fever to Recovery

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