IS NORMAL DELIVERY POSSIBLE FOR C-SECTION?

INTRODUCTION SUMMARY

Dengue cases go up
By EDUARDO GONZALES, MD Q. Is it true that this year the number of dengue cases in the Philippines is expected to be higher than last year? What can we do to prevent this disease?

Lourdes L., Pasig City

A. There is indeed a good chance the number of dengue cases this year in the Philippines will surpass last years. The trend indicates so. During the first two months of this year, the Department of Health (DOH) registered 6,236 dengue patientswith 46 deathsnationwide; this figure is 11 percent higher

than during the same period last year. As of the end of March, the number of recorded dengue cases nationwide this year is 11,803, which is 61 percent higher than the 7,335 cases recorded during the first three months of last year.

Another factor that bodes for a high incidence of dengue this year is the ongoing La Nia phenomenon which means this years rainy season will be very wet. Dengue occurs year round but its incidence is higher during the rainy season because its mosquito vector is able to breed more rapidly during this period.

Dengue or dengue fever is caused by the dengue virus that is transmitted to humans by the bite of at least two species of the Aedes mosquito, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. In the Philippines, the main vector is Aedes aegypti a small black mosquito that has white stripes on its back and legs.

Only the female Aedes mosquito bites and it does so because animal blood is needed for proper development of its eggs.

The Aedes mosquito acquires the dengue virus when it bites and feeds on the blood of a person with dengue. The virus proliferates within the mosquito and after eight to 11 days, the mosquito becomes infective to humans and remains so for the rest of its life, which can be anywhere from 15 to 65 days. When an infective mosquito bites a human, it unintentionally injects the dengue virus into the person.

The female Aedes mosquito, which loves to bite during the day, breeds in stagnant water. It lays hundreds of eggs at a time in places where pools of water exists: flower vases, jars, pots, bottles, drums, roof gutters, drains, old tires, tree cavities, plant stumps, etc. The eggs hatch into larvae or wrigglers after about a week. In another week, the larvae transform into pupae, which become adult mosquitoes after one to two more days. By the way, if the pool dries up before the eggs hatch, the eggs stay viable up to a year and promptly hatch when the rains come.

The signs and symptoms of dengue fever appear three to 15 days after getting bitten by an infective mosquito. They include moderate to high grade fever, headache, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, joint and muscle pains, pain around the eye area, and a skin rash.

Usually, dengue is a mild, self-limiting illness. But some cases progress to the severe and sometimes fatal form of the illness known as hemorrhagic fever or H-fever, which is characterized by bleeding that usually involves the gastrointestinal tract, skin and the nervous system, and that typically starts when the fever has already subsided.

Dengue can be prevented by controlling its mosquito vector and/or protecting people from getting bitten by it. The Aedes mosquito has a flight range of up to 300 meters. Hence, measures to control it are most effective if they are done on a community basis.

Screen your house. Alternately you can use mosquito nets, mosquito repellants, mosquito coils (katol) and mats, and mosquito patches that one sticks on his/her outing clothing.

Isolate persons with dengue fever in a screened room for at least five days from the onset of symptoms.

Eliminate all possible breeding places of mosquitoes in your neighborhood. Fill potholes; cover water containers and septic tanks; do not allow empty cans, soft drink bottles, spare tires, etc. to accumulate water; ensure that drains and gutters are not clogged and that water flows freely in sewage lines; cut tall grass, etc.

Dispose garbage properly and regularly. http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/268856/dengue-cases-go (Email inquiries on health matters to: medical_notes@yahoo.com)