- The number of Dengue fever cases are on the rise due to rainy season which causes the breeding of mosquitoes.
- The signs of the disease include fever, headache, joint and muscle aches and sore throat.
Image: Courtesy
Mombasa county health officials have raised concern over the outbreak of Dengue fever which is caused by the current rainy season.
Public health chief officer Pauline Oginga said the region is bound to have emergency of some diseases that are linked directly to the season.
“One of the diseases that are of concern to us is the Dengue fever cases that have doubled from last month," she said.
"We are urging the community that as much as public health department is trying to come up with ways of a reducing the cases, this is a collective responsibility.”
Oginga said the department is engaging the community in draining the stagnant water within homesteads.
She said they are also emphasising on people going for treatment in public health facilities because the sign and symptoms of dengue fever are similar to malaria.
The signs include fever, headache, joint and muscle aches and sore throat.
“We are trying as much as possible to sensitise the community. We have the community health volunteers and public health officers moving within the community to do sensitisation,” she said.
Oginga added that the department has also embarked on an exercise where they are planning to do fogging around the county targeting the informal settlements.
“What we are advocating ... for is for residents to cover the tanks and buckets where they store water because if they are left uncovered, they act as breeding areas for mosquitoes,” she said.
“We also have the unused tires and when it rains the water pools in them and forms a perfect breeding site for mosquitoes. So we are calling upon people operating car garages or those who have them at home to dispose them,” the officer said.
The department also called upon people at the construction sites to ensure that there is no stagnant water in those areas.
Oginga further said that there are mosquitoes which hide in dark corners in working areas and dengue fever mosquitoes bite during the day therefore the places should be fumigated frequently.
Apart from the dengue fever outbreak, the department has recorded an upsurge of diarrhoea cases totalling 8,648 in the month of June.
She said that in the last two years, the cases were not reported because people were observing Covid-19 measures related to hygiene.
“We also emphasising on the need to wash hands and observe the Covid-19 measures because by doing this, we will be able to reduce the cases of communicable diseases," Oginga said.
(edited by Amol Awuor)