Dengue is caused by my least favorite creature in the entire universe: the mosquito. As if being bitten and having a violent itchy reaction that drives me up the wall isn't enough, now they are passing on a virus that gives you a major fever, sucks all the fluids from your body, and can make you vomit blood (dengue hemorrhagic fever).
We're up to 74 cases (as of Oct. 31) on this small strip of land we call Majuro. That number is already inaccurate since many cases are milder and go unreported (e.g., a friend in our church had it and didn't go to the hospital). There's nothing to do about it but avoid being bitten. We're putting on more bug spray and encouraging others to put on bug spray and sleep under a net if they have one, but that's about all we can do.
If a person who has dengue doesn't use mosquito spray (and not many do here), then they open themselves up to mosquitoes who then carry the dengue to other people. It is a good example of how people must care about other people in order to stop an epidemic: if you care enough about other people not getting sick, you'll protect yourself.
Pray for us! Dengue is a totally survivable disease, if you treat it right, but I don't want Max to get it.
Posts
3 comments:
I don't know about there, but in Trinidad, the dengue-carrying mosquitoes are the ones more likely to be feeding at dusk. If that's the case where you are, be sure to be extra-careful when you go out in the afternoon and early evening.
We had several friends, including a few embassy Americans, who got it our last year in Port of Spain.
That sucks. I wouldn't want my baby to get it either.
Side note: I can't tell if that little red dot is in Yemen or Djibouti. Let's hope it's Yemen.
You are making living in the cold northeast seem like a good idea.
I sure hope none of you get sick.
Post a Comment