Tag Archives: sri lanka

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

Dengue Fever: Brazil worst hit, Pakistan launches campaign, Dengue survives cold temps, Bolivia on Red Alert, UN says efforts to fight disease failing, energy saving light bulbs spreading disease

“I consider Rio de Janeiro runs the risk of one of the worst epidemics, in number of cases of dengue in its history.”-Alexandre Padilha, Health Minister of Brazil

Brazil’s tourist city of Rio de Janeiro is being hit hard by type 4 Dengue fever.  So far there are more than 3,000 confirmed cases!  However, the rest of Brazil is actually seeing a huge 62% drop in cases (keep in mind that last year Brazil had 106,373 cases).

Across the world, Pakistani health officials (Rawalpindi Development Authority, Water and Sanitation Agency, the Parks and Horticulture Authority and the Health Department) have gone to war to prevent an outbreak of hemorrhagic Dengue fever.

Pesticides are being sprayed, and residents are being told how to fight the dengue carrying mosquitoes. A health official in Punjab said they now know that the dengue virus can be spread in cold winter temps.

Back over to South America, in Bolivia, the city of Santa Cruz confirmed 157 cases of dengue.  There are another 820 suspected cases. They have declared a red alert.

Also on February 25, the UN’s World Heath Organization reported that after 50 years of fighting the disease, cases of dengue in Thailand and Sri Lanka have only increased!

“The floods actually interrupted the Aeges aegypti’s life cycle and has resulted in a reduction in dengue.”-Sanphet Mahamard, Communicable Disease Control Department of Thailand

However, Thai officials say the massive flooding, at the end of 2011, has actually destroyed the breeding grounds of many of the dengue carrying mosquitoes.  So thanks to Mother Earth, they are already seeing a 36% drop in dengue cases (keep in mind that as of January 2012 Thailand has seen more than 1,000 cases and one death).

In Sri Lanka, officials are so determined to reduce dengue cases that they’re even going after business owners who don’t control mosquitoes on their property!

The Chief Technical Engineer of the railway yard of Sri Lanka Railways was fined, and is in prison, after 20 employees got sick, and one employee died, from dengue fever. Investigators discovered that railway officials did not conduct anti-mosquito programs on their property.

There is no vaccine (although Mexico is testing one of their own vaccines), and it turns out the mosquito eggs can survive a full year, even in cold temperatures.  Also, research showed that the mosquitoes are attracted to the light of energy saving florescent light bulbs.

 

 

 

International, U.S.

Pale Green Horse: Dengue Fever deaths skyrocket in 2011, some areas see 89% increase, some countries launching programs on the level of ‘polio eradication campaigns’, catching it more than once can kill you

I looked and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him.  They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

Cambodia’s Ministry of Health says at least 72 Cambodian children died from dengue fever in 2011, an increase of 89%, compared to 2010.  Total number of dengue cases in Cambodia were up 26% in 2011 (15,805 cases that were reported to government officials).

“The disease broke out in a large scale every three to five years and the year 2011 was the large scale breakout, that’s why the cases were on the rise and the deaths were almost double.”-Ngan Chantha, Cambodia’s Ministry of Health

Cambodia spent U.S.$7 million fighting dengue in 2011.

Pakistan was hit hard by dengue in 2011 (never mind attacks from the Pakistani Taliban and the ungrateful government of the United States!).  By October 2011, more than 6,000 Pakistanis got sick, and at least 253 died.

The cold winter is not having any affect on the mosquitoes in Pakistan.  Contrary to the hopes of officials, two people died on December 31, after being bit by mosquitoes in freezing temperatures.

Pakistan’s Health Secretary, Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan, has ordered a mosquito spraying offensive, that must be completed before February 10, 2012.

One Pakistani doctor said they are launching an anti-dengue campaign “on the pattern of the polio campaign”.  Health officials will go door to door explaining to people how to prevent dengue by fighting mosquitoes.  They also hope to have a computer system in place that will let hospitals and clinics share information about incoming dengue cases.

In Borneo, officials are so concerned about dengue for 2012 that dengue awareness and prevention classes are now part of grade school education.

In Sri Lanka, officials reported a jump in dengue cases in December 2011;  290 cases in December, 170 in November.  One official said it doesn’t take much water for the dengue carrying mosquitoes to breed: “…this mosquito can breed in one teaspoonful of water!”-Pradeep Kariyawasam, Chief Medical Officer of the Colombo Municipal Council

On the island of Fiji (east of New Zealand), officials are now concerned about the general public, because of an outbreak of dengue in their prisons: “The symptoms of dengue fever are similar to those of normal flu but with joint pains and high fever. But people should not stay home and instead seek immediate medical attention.”-Peni Namotu, Fiji Health Ministry

Closer to the United States, Mexico reported great advances in their fight against dengue, which included testing of vaccines.  In several Mexican states, cases of dengue had dropped by as much as 80%, compared to 2010.

But fighting dengue is not that easy. In December, the University of California at Berkeley released the results of their study, which showed that surviving an initial case of dengue fever does not mean your body can survive a second infection.

The problem is that there are four major types of dengue viruses, and your body’s immune system might be lulled into a false sense of security: “With the second infection, the antibodies sort of recognize the new type of viruses, but not well enough to clear them from the system.  Instead of neutralizing the viruses, the antibodies bind to them in a way that actually helps them invade the immune system’s other cells and spread.”-Molly OhAinle, UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health.

The results of the study were published in the December 21 issue of Science Translational Medicine.

Check my other postings about dengue fever.

 

 

 

 

 

International

Dengue update, September 19, 2011: Tens of thousands infected, including hundreds of doctors, hundreds of deaths

The number of Dengue Fever cases continues to climb, around the world.

September 19, Sri Lanka reporting “…17,933 reported cases and 126 deaths…”.  Mosquito eradication efforts have been increased.

September 19, Pakistan not only has several thousands of Dengue cases, but now at least 100 doctors, working at hospitals in Lahore, are confirmed to have it as well.  So far 36 Pakistanis, including a hospital employee, have died from dengue.  The current flooding in Pakistan will only make things worse.

September 8, Limón, Costa Rica, declares state of emergency as 2,006 people test positive for Dengue.

August 29-September 13, two deaths in Mexico reported and the state of Jalisco is put on alert.  Jalisco has exceeded national numbers of Dengue cases. They are fighting the deadly hemorrhagic form of Dengue.

In August, Cuba is put on high alert after mosquito population jumps: “We are in a period of high alert in relation to the control of Aedes aegypti and, in general, epidemiological and environmental surveillance.”-John R. Vazquez, Cuba’s  Entomology and Vector Control, Ministry of Public Health

Bolivia reporting that at least 4,000 people are infected, and at least 23 have died.

See my earlier postings for other Dengue info.