dengue hemorrhagic fever

KOMPAS/FAKHRI FADLURROHMAN

Officers read a leaflet containing how to treat dengue hemorrhagic fever (DBD) to dengue fever patients at Cibinong Regional Hospital, Bogor Regency, West Java, Saturday (3/6/2023).

During the rainy season, we must be aware that the mosquitoes that cause dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) will be more likely to be found in the environment around where we live. Mosquito eggs that survive in dry places during the summer finally hatch when they are flooded with water. In laying one egg, the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which causes dengue fever, can lay 100 eggs.

Morphologically, the Aedes aegypti mosquito is black with silvery white stripes on its body, especially on its legs. That is why this mosquito is also known to be black and white striped. These mosquitoes tend to be more active in the morning and evening, although they sometimes bite at night.

Also read: Death cases due to dengue hemorrhagic fever are dominated by children

The Aedes aegypti mosquito likes to hide in dark and damp places, both inside and outside the house, such as in a pile of clothes hangers behind the door, under the bed, or among the wild grass that grows in the yard. Therefore, make sure to clean your house diligently so that it doesn’t become a nest for mosquitoes.

Apart from that, preventing the transmission of dengue fever must also be done by eradicating places where mosquitoes breed. Containers that hold water are very risky as a place for mosquitoes to lay their eggs.

COMPASS/RIZA FATHONI

Pasar Minggu Community Health Center officers fogged dengue fever mosquitoes in Kebagusan Village, Pasar Minggu District, South Jakarta, early June 2021.

The 3M principles are properly implemented to prevent dengue fever, namely draining water reservoirs, closing water reservoirs, and recycling items that have the potential to hold water, such as used cans, bottles, or other items.

“Basically, mosquito eggs are difficult to destroy. In fact, fogging is only to kill adult mosquitoes. “So, (the eggs) must be removed by ensuring there is no place for them to hatch,” said Professor of Internal Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia Erni Juwita Nelwan when met in Jakarta, Wednesday (17/1/2024).

He said that overcoming dengue hemorrhagic fever cannot be done with just one effort. Controlling dengue hemorrhagic fever must be carried out comprehensively, starting from the environment, humans, to mosquito vectors. Interventions on mosquitoes also need to be carried out throughout the mosquito life cycle, from eggs, larvae, to adult mosquitoes.

Meanwhile, community protection can be done by preventing transmission through mosquito bites. If a resident is infected, they must be detected immediately and receive appropriate treatment so that it does not become fatal.

The cost burden of dengue fever

Awareness of the threat of dengue hemorrhagic fever needs to be increased because cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever in Indonesia are still high. This condition is at least reflected in data from the Ministry of Health for 2021, 2022 and 2023. Consecutively, cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever reported were 73,518 cases, 143,176 cases and 98,071 cases. Meanwhile, deaths reached 705 cases, 1,236 cases and 764 cases.

In a report by the Social Security Administering Body (BPJS) for Health, the cost of treating dengue hemorrhagic fever has almost doubled. In 2021, health costs for dengue hemorrhagic fever will be IDR 600 billion, while in 2022 it is reported to reach IDR 1.2 trillion.

Deputy Minister of Health Dante Saksono Harbuwono said that awareness of dengue fever must continue to be increased. According to him, even though various control efforts have been carried out, the incidence of dengue fever continues to increase when the El Nino phenomenon occurs. Meanwhile, the frequency and severity of El Nino events could increase due to climate change.

“Every time El Nino comes, the climate situation will change. At that time, cases of dengue fever were also reported to have increased. “That is as reported in 2008 and 2016,” he said.

Early examination

For this reason, in addition to strengthening mosquito vector control, it is hoped that the public will become more aware of immediately carrying out examinations when symptoms and signs of dengue fever infection appear. The increasing risk of dengue fever must be accompanied by early detection and appropriate treatment so that cases of worsening and death can be prevented.

Also read: Dengue cases increase due to El Nino phenomenon

The main symptom of dengue hemorrhagic fever is a sudden high fever reaching a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius. Other symptoms that usually occur are headache, chills, weakness, pain behind the eyes, pain in the muscles and joints, and red spots appearing on the skin.

COMPASS/INTERVIEW H PRABOWO

The erratic rain this rainy season has caused the number of dengue hemorrhagic fever sufferers to rise sharply. One of these things was found at Wonosari Regional Hospital, Gunungkidul, DI Yogyakarta, early January 2010.

In critical conditions, the patient’s body temperature will decrease. This condition must be watched out for because it can indicate that the body is experiencing life-threatening dengue shock syndrome. Often, this condition is realized too late so that the patient arrives at the hospital already in serious condition.

In tackling dengue hemorrhagic fever, the role of the community is very large. The community plays a role starting from efforts to maintain environmental cleanliness by eradicating mosquito nests, killing mosquito larvae using larvicide, and quickly recognizing the symptoms of dengue infection so that they can be treated immediately.

Also read: The Future of “Wolbachia” as an Alternative for DHF Control

Community support for the latest technology and innovation is also important, such as the use of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes and the use of dengue vaccines as part of efforts to overcome dengue hemorrhagic fever in Indonesia.

2024-01-21 02:00:38
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