Deadly clean water

PANAMA. Procrastination has become a matter of life and death in Panama. Forgetting to check your house for standing water could endanger you and your family.

A recent surge in dengue fever cases calls for your immediate attention.

Dengue fever and dengue hemorragic fever are acute febrile diseases caused by a virus carried by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito.

While the classic dengue develops like a strong flu - sometimes called breakbones fever - the hemorragic dengue can be fatal due to internal bleeding and a weakened inmune system.

More than half of the deaths caused by hemmoragic dengue since the illness arrived in Panama have occurred in the last 18 months, the Minister of Health, Franklin Vergara said.

Vergara said that the virus is becoming more aggressive, less resistant to insecticides and more widespread across Panama.

He said the recent upsurge in cases of the virus is mostly because the public has relaxed their vigilance and is allowing the larvae to breed freely.

“It is not enough to just throw away the standing water,” he said. “You have to wash out the container so that you can be sure the larvae don’t grow into mosquitos.”

According to the World Health Organization, more than 50 million cases of dengue are reported each year.

An epidemic broke out in Bolivia in early 2009, in which 18 people have died so far and 31,000 have been infected.

In Singapore, there are 4,000–5,000 reported cases of dengue fever or dengue hemorrhagic fever every year.

Scientists using computers to simulate the general circulation of the earth's climate have predicted that rising global temperatures will increase the range of the mosquito that transmits the dengue fever virus.

The geographic range of the Aedes is limited by freezing temperatures that kill overwintering larvae and eggs, so that dengue virus transmission is limited to tropical and subtropical regions. Global warming would not only increase the range of the mosquito but would also reduce the size of Aedes larva and, ultimately, adult size.

Since smaller adults must feed more frequently to develop their eggs, warmer temperatures would boost the incidence of double feeding and increase the chance of transmission.

In urban areas, mosquitos breed on water collections in artificial containers such as plastic cups, used tires, broken bottles, flower pots, etc. Periodic draining or removal of artificial containers is the most effective way of reducing the breeding grounds for mosquitos.

Walk around your home to check for the smallest collection of stagnant water - the mosquito can breed even in beer caps full of water.

Clear any stagnant water in your air cooler unit.

Remove water in plant pot plates. Clean and scrub the plate thoroughly to remove mosquito eggs. Avoid the use of plant pot plates, if possible.

The Ministry of Health has increased the fines for encouraging mosquito breeding places. First time you pay $100 but the second time the fine could reach up to $1000.

So save your pocket and your life and start cleaning up.