Top 10 ways to avoid getting Dengue Fever

TOP 10 WAYS TO AVOID GETTING DENGUE FEVER

There are no specific medicines to treat a dengue infection. About one in four people infected will get sick, some very sick. A severe case of dengue fever can be life-threatening within a few hours, and will probably require hospitalisation. The most common symptoms of dengue include nausea, vomiting, a rash, muscle aches, and joint pains. Symptoms of dengue typically last 2 to 7 days. Most people recover in about a week.

A lot of Thailand is jungle. And the weather is very humid. Mosquitoes thrive in both situations. You’re in their domain and they’re not going anywhere just because you want to live here, or are on your vacation. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes carry Dengue Fever which is very prevalent in South East Asian countries.

Number 1. Mosquitoes love the ground

Most mosquitoes ‘hang around’ close to the ground, so your feet and legs dangling under the table are an easy target, and out of sight. You won’t hear the mosquitos buzzing under the table over the noise of clinking of glasses and the tuk tuks whizzing by.

Number 2. Sunrise and sunset

We love the sunsets in Thailand. And for the morning people, sunrises. So do Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. So these times of the day you need extra precautions against mosquitoes. They will be around.

If you are at an outdoor venue at the time, make sure the electric fans are circulating the air under the tables, and have a quick spray of repellent…. every venue will have some available for guests.

Number 3. They love your perfume

If you smell nice – a hint of perfume, or after-shave here or there – the mosquitoes will be attracted too. You didn’t intend to attract mosquitoes but you probably will. That scented soap the hotel provided (in the impossible-to-open plastic wrap) is likely a sweet smell for the relentless mosquito’s tracking system.

When they’re not biting you, they’re usually attracted to flowers. Bland is better if you want to avoid mosquitoes. Buy unscented deodorant too.

Number 4. Biege is back

Mosquitoes are fashion victims, and seem attracted to bright coloured clothing. Bland coloured clothes are less attractive to mosquitoes. There may be a reason the tropical safari suits being beige.

Number 5. Re-apply repellants

Whatever you apply on your skin to deter mosquitoes, you’ll need to re-apply every few hours. Just a quick squirt isn’t going to work all night. If you’re outside you WILL be perspiring, and this both washes away the repellent and provides a new attractive scent for the mosquitoes.

Number 6. They like it dirty!

If you’ve been out all day, trekking the hills around Phuket, swimming in the sea, wandering around Bangkok’s tourist traps… Yum, you’ll be sweaty, salty and ripe for the mosquitoes. They like it dirty!
Have a shower, without using scented soap or lotions, before you head out for your sunset drinks at your favourite rooftop bar.

Number 7. Check the mosquito coil is working

Mosquito coils work very well as a general deterrent but you’ll need to be vigilant to make sure the coil’s fumes are blowing in your direction. Set them on the ground, where most of the mosquitoes tend to gather, around your legs and feet. Check them regularly to make sure they haven’t stopped burning.

Number 8. Blinded by the light

Mosquitoes are attracted to light, so if the lights are off outside, and on inside, the mosquitoes will be coming inside. Not only mosquitoes, just about any bug is going to be attracted to light. If you want to keep the bugs outside, turn on a light outside and the lights off inside, and open the doors. They’ll head out towards the light. The mosquitos will do the same.

Number 9. Spray your room before you go to bed

Mosquitoes will track you down, wherever you are. No matter if you’re in a five-star hotel over-looking the Andaman Sea, or a back-packer in a dorm in Chiang Mai, they don’t discriminate. If there’s a hole in your room’s defences, mosquitoes will find a way in. Windows and doors, obviously, but also vents.

Number 10. Nets and fans

A mosquito net above your bed is a cage that keeps you in, and the mosquitoes out. Make sure there’s no way in for them – they’ll find a way if there is. A good fan will also work very well, but it has to be blowing hard enough so the mosquitoes can’t make a three-point landing on your body.
A gentle zephyr on the number 1 setting won’t suffice. If you get the position of the fan right, and have the setting high enough, you’ll stay cool, and the mosquitoes won’t be able to land on you and bite.