Dengue Rears its Ugly Head Again

Just when you think everything was back to normal again except for the digging up of the roads by SYABAS for the Pipe Replacement Programme, you see the DBKL team in action carrying out fogging work in the evenings. Yes, your worst fears are realised, there are dengue cases in the neighbourhood again.

The RA had been informed by the Jabatan Kesihatan DBKL that there had been a surge of dengue cases in the Rahim Kajai area in the last two months. According to Dr. Akma, the months of May, June and July are the months which record the highest numbers of cases every year. But this year the year the reported cases are exceptionally high. Consider the following statistics for the whole of Taman Tun revealed by Dr. Akma:

Year 2003 - Total of 35 cases reported;
Year 2004 - Total of 14 cases reported;
Year 2005 - Total of 20 cases reported;
Year 2006 - As of 23 September, 58 cases reported.

Not only are the number of cases reported to date for 2006 more than double the average for the three preceeding years, but the cases continue even after June/July, which is not normal. And more than half of them occuring in te Rahim Kajai area. And this is cause for alarm.

The DBKL Vector teams had encountered difficulty in getting access to houses for fogging as well as destroying potential mosquito breeding grounds. It is hoped that residents will give better cooperation to these DBKL Vector teams and they can be identified by their uniforms and their identification cards.

On an individual basis, residents too should check their houses and compounds for any potential mosquito breeding areas. Common areas spotted with mosquito larvae include:

• flat car porch roofs;
• air wells,
• roof gutters, concrete as well as mild steel types;
• landscaping devices in the garden.

All unwanted containers which can collect water should be disposed off immediately, while flower pot trays or other water containers should be added with abate or small fishes like guppies to destroy the larvae.

The Jabatan Kesihatan had advised that a sustained and collective appoach to the problem is needed to ensure a Aedes-free environment over the long haul. And the COMBI PROGRAMME has been recommended for implementation in Taman Tun. Click here to find out more about the proposed COMBI PROGRAMME.

Further to this, DBKL is distributing free Mosquito Larvae Trapping Devices (MLTD) to all interested residents as an additional means to control the growth of mosquitos. These should be kept in a cool shady place outdoor, and not easily knocked over. The philosophy of this device is to facilitate controlled breeding areas for mosquitos which will then be trapped and not allowed to produce more generations of mosquitos.

The MLTD comprise a plastic container, an inverted funnel and a cover with holes. The plastic container will be half filled with water before assembled as shown in picture above. The mosquito bred in the MLTD will be trapped in the top half of the plastic container above the water.

All residents are strongly encouraged to install this simple device in their garden as it will offer a means for DBKL to monitor the type of mosquitos in the area besides terminating the mosquito life cycle of egg -> larva -> pupa -> adult mosquito.

For free MLTD's you may contact the Jabatan Kesihatan, DBKL direct:

Dr. Nor Akma - Tel: 7727 6366
En. Omar Abdullah - Tel: 7727 1760
En. Unig - Tel: 7727 1760