Debunking the misinformation about dengue

The World Health Organization (WHO) cited dengue fever as the world’s fastest-spreading mosquito-borne disease. The mosquito-borne viral disease typically found in tropical and sub-tropical climates spreads rapidly in more than 100 countries worldwide, affecting around 400 million lives annually.

The Department of Health reported a 40% increase in dengue cases compared to last year, and the high count went ahead of the usual rainy season in the Philippines. Nine local government units have reported a concerning rise in the number of dengue cases, with Quezon City already declaring an outbreak.

With the spike in numbers, there is also a lot of misinformation associated with the mosquito-borne viral disease. Real Talk Breaking News of Barangay Bell-Kenz, a health advocacy online series on Bell-Kenz Facebook page, puts to the fore the significance of right information amid the concerning rise of dengue cases in the Philippines.

Real Talk Breaking News guest medical expert Dr. Jay Ron Padua, a Pediatric Infectious Disease Specialist, shares that debunking some myths surrounding dengue is important to drive public awareness in seeking timely medical treatment.

Some of the common myths that can lead to misinformation about dengue:

Myth #1. Dengue is just a mild disease.

Fact: While most patients with dengue have no symptoms (asymptomatic) or present with mild symptoms, dengue can be severe and life-threatening in some patients especially if not detected early and managed adequately.

Myth #2. You can only get dengue once in your lifetime.

Fact: Dengue virus has 4 distinct serotypes. Infection with 1 serotype will render lifelong immunity to  that particular serotype and transient cross-protection against the other serotypes for a few months. Hence, getting the disease from the other 3 dengue serotypes is still possible!

Myth #3. Dengue is highly contagious. You can easily get it from being around an infected person.

Fact: Dengue isn’t contagious, so it cannot be spread from person to person. It is only transmitted to humans via the bite of an infected female mosquito.

Myth #4. Dengue-infected mosquitoes only breed in dirty stagnant waters.

Fact: The Aedes mosquitoes (the primary vectors of  the dengue virus) breed by laying their eggs on stagnant water, regardless if it’s clean or dirty.

Myth #5. Dengue is only prevalent during the rainy season.

Fact:  While we see an uptick of cases in the Philippines during the rainy months, the dengue virus is capable of infecting people all year round, thus the risk of infection remains constant. As long as the condition is favorable for the mosquitoes to survive, dengue outbreaks can occur at any season/time of the year.

Dr. Padua reiterates that dengue is preventable and treatable with the right information, knowledge and precautions. Individuals and communities can protect themselves from dengue by implementing the 5S Strategy by the Department of Health:

1. Search and destroy mosquito breeding sites
2. Seek early consultation at the nearest health care facility
3. Employ Self-protection measures like applying of insect repellents, wearing long protective clothing, use of mosquito nets
4. Support fogging and misting in the community during outbreaks
5. Sustain hydration

Watch the full episode of Real Talk Breaking News here. Stay updated with accurate and reliable  information about dengue and other health topics that matter, follow Barangay Bell-Kenz on Facebook and YouTube.