The Health Office of Bali province in Indonesia has recorded 2,469 cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) in the first three months of the year, with a downward trend in cases. 'In general, at the province (level), actually from January to March, there has been a decline but, indeed, several districts experienced an increase,' the office's head of Disease Handling Section I Nyoman Sudiyasa said here Friday. The downward trend in dengue cases is apparent from the overall figures, with 939 cases, with three deaths in January; 820 cases, with one death in February; and 710 cases, with one death in March. Based on the office's data, of the 2,469 cases recorded, Denpasar City contributed the highest number with 781, while Bangli registered the lowest case count with 67. Despite Denpasar being the biggest contributor, a downward trend in cases was recorded, from 296 cases in January to 255 cases in February and 230 cases in March. Meanwhile, in Bangli, an increase was recorded, from 17 cases in January to 17 cases in February and 33 cases in March. Nyoman Sudiyasa attributed this mostly to seasonal factors. He also noted that the community's awareness of the mosquito nest eradication program (PSN) is deemed crucial. "We know that there is no cure for DHF. There is no vaccine that is recommended to prevent DHF. What we can do for controlling DHF is control the vector, namely preventing the spread of the Aedes aegypti mosquito," he said. He explained that apart from prevention efforts, the decline in cases in those three months was also accompanied by on-field epidemiological investigation. "We (work) in the field to make sure where the patient got infected, whether at home or places where they carry out activities, such as schools or offices. The recommendation will be fogging or suffice with PSN only," Nyoman Sudiyasa said. If the recommendation showed that mosquito fogging should be conducted, it will be carried out in focused locations, with a radius of 100 meters to 200 meters, he said. "Yet, without forgetting the PSN because it (fogging) only kills adult mosquitos, though the larvae are not dead," he pointed out
Source: Philippines News Agency